Vanity and Patience: A Rosalie Hale Story
by Achelle Candy
Summary: How does the vain and selfish Rosalie deal with an irrational newborn vampire who can't see past his lust for blood to even notice her? Will she be able to swallow her pride and have the patience to stand by him? Will Emmett be the man who can change her?
1. Prologue: Turned

******New Update 11/24/2011:**

I was notified that this story had been** plagiarized**, where the first nine chapters were posted WORD FOR WORD by TinaJaymes/EdwardsCougar33 work under another title and passed off as her own. So, if you feel like you've read this story before, know that **THIS IS THE ORIGINAL WORK** and that** I AM THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR** of the Rosalie story where Emmett is a crazy newborn. Thanks!

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**Chapter Specific Warning: Those sensitive to rape and violence may want to skip this chapter. Though it doesn't exactly occur within the following text. The issue is certainly dealt with.**

**Should anyone care to read an explicit version of this story, you can find the full, unrated version on Twilighted dot net.**

To my beta, Lisa, aka cfmom, who is an amazing friend: Thank you so much for taking over this story early on when it was in need of some thorough editing and feedback. My only regret was that you weren't my beta from the beginning.

To my readers, threadsters, reviewers, tweeters, my friends: thank you, thank you so much for your support of this fic. I've enjoyed writing this as well as all of your continued enthusiasm for Emmett and Rosalie and their beginnings. Thank you for sharing in the love, laughter, and tears through this whole saga.

Playlist:

Tori Amos – Me and a Gun

Sullen Girl – Fiona Apple

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly

Ashanti - Foolish

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**Prologue: Turned**

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_April 1933, Rochester, New York._

_The beginning of the end._

Shock.

Shock is defined as the sudden or violent disturbance of the mind, emotions, or sensibilities.

In medicine it is a critical condition brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow through the body.

I was experiencing shock in every sense of the word.

Complete shock.

Even more than the pain that throbbed all over me.

I was lying on my stomach, my limbs in an awkward position.

The street felt horrible to my prone body, but anything would be more comfortable after what I'd endured not even an hour before.

I knew I was bleeding—bleeding in places a woman shouldn't be bleeding.

My cheek lay pressed against the abrasive mortar and large, smooth pebbles that formed the street's surface. I stared at the cobblestone just inches from my nose. The lines that formed where each stone began and ended started to blur within my vision.

My tears were just beginning to dry, my sobs getting smaller and more silent as time went on. My sniveling had quieted down. I wasn't wailing like I had been moments ago, crying from the simple shock of what had transpired. Reality came crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

The voice of the devil still rang in my ears loud and clear. _What did I tell you, John. Isn't she lovelier than all your Georgia peaches? _The irony was eerie, the voice I'd fawned over for the past few months had been the same voice to bring atrocities upon me I couldn't have imagined before tonight. It was the same voice I'd been preparing for the same amount of months to worship for the rest of my life.

The voice of Satan.

My body shivered at the recollection, appraised by his friends like I was a horse to purchase. A friend of a friend who I'd never met before had just come in from Atlanta. _It's hard to tell_, his sick friend, John, answered in a thick southern draw. _She's all covered up._

_Show him what you look like, Rose! _My memory could hear him slur, his breath lousy with cheap whiskey.

I could still hear my buttons fly loose as he had torn my jacket off. I could still feel the bobby pins that held my hat in place pull hair and skin from my scalp as he had ripped my hat off of my head.

"I hate you," I tried to growl out loud in the present time, into the empty darkness of the street, but the sound was gone from my voice. A raspy breath was the only sound that I could make.

They'd enjoyed my screaming voice that night, with every cry for pain that they caused me. All my cries and screams had wasted my vocal abilities that night.

Waste.

_Everything _had gone to waste that evening.

It was insane to want to die, but I had no choice. There was no way I wanted to live after the disgrace he and his friends had done. I couldn't marry him after this, and I doubted anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them what happened.

I barely registered the hazy white falling down around me, like cotton. I thought I was hallucinating until I felt them fall on my hand and melt away quickly. It was fluffy little snowflakes, so quiet in their fall, swaying in the strange winter breeze as they descended to the ground… and on me.

I called it strange because of the time of year. I was sure when I had set the wedding date for late April that there wouldn't be a chance of snowfall. Boy, was I wrong. The large flowery wedding of my childhood dreams had been so close, just within reach of my fingertips. But then, the wedding was the least of my worries now.

Or at least it should be.

I winced as I made a small adjustment to my position.

Pain.

And it wasn't even the physical pain that was tearing me up inside, though that pain was overwhelming me to the point that I could barely hang onto consciousness.

There was more pain to be dealt with inside of me. My heart was more than broken. It was shattered, its pieces scattered along that very street, like broken glass. They were mixed on the cobblestone with the broken pieces of my virginity that _he_ and his hooligan friends had destroyed and annihilated in one night.

Defiled parts of my body clenched in pain at the thought alone.

I swallowed the moisture in my mouth, a mixture of blood in my saliva, with a bad aftertaste of booze, and other foreign… fluids.

I fought the urge to vomit.

My memory took me to a gorgeous ballroom with everyone dressed in floor length gowns and tuxedos. I saw a crowd of people before me. A waiter offered us sparkly drinks in elegant flutes.

"No, thank you," _he, my personal Satan in a designer suit,_ had declined politely at the swanky town dance party last month. He turned to me with a wink. "I don't care much for champagne."

I had smiled back, squeezing my fingers around _his _hand. I had jumped to my own conclusions that night, proud that _he _didn't drink. So stupid. So foolish.

How would I know that _he_ preferred something much stronger?

I had been the biggest dupe on the planet, completely seduced by the riches of his family and his undeniable good looks, and the charming façade he'd only displayed until this night.

The man I thought loved me. The man I'd meant to father my future beautiful babies.

I hadn't known him at all.

I managed to move my hand to my face, and I knew as I felt my nose, swollen and deformed, that it was broken. That bastard named John had punched me in the face to keep me from resisting. My left eye was also swollen shut. I think that was Royce that had gifted me with that mar to my beauty.

I cringed, not only at the sensitive flesh of my face, but the silent utter of _his_ name.

The wounds were tender, the slightest pressure to the swollen tissue caused sharp sensations. The pain brought about whimpers that broke through my lips on a gasp.

Tears brimmed and swelled in my eyes before they poured relentlessly down my cheeks and onto my cracked lips. They were brought on by the thought of my former lovely face, now mangled and deformed. A less than perfect nose was unacceptable to me.

One thought comforted me.

_At least I'll be dead._

And I knew that the end was near, because I literally felt life draining out of me.

My failing body trembled in a pool of my own blood.

_God, it was cold._

The ache and discomfort continued to throb and pierce through me. I tried my best to run thoughts through my mind in an effort to concentrate on something else. One thought came instantly.

_Let them find me. _

I hoped there was some kind of clue that Royce had done this. Hopefully he'd left a scarf or hat behind, or his stupid stopwatch. Something to lead them into knowing he did this.

As humiliating as the fact was, it was still a fact.

Royce had raped me.

He had killed me.

He had taken away my perfect life from me.

He needed to pay.

Never mind that I would never wake when I closed my eyes. Excluding that night, I was close to getting everything that I wanted in this life. After that night, I no longer cared to live. As long as there was justice in the name of my death, I would be happy.

After a time, long or short, I wasn't sure, I closed my eyes. My lids were pitch black from the inside. There was more pain than I thought I could bear, but I didn't fight it. I drifted and waited for the end to come to me, my thoughts dipping in and out of memories without a consistent pattern. In the moments that I was lucid, I tried to hum a lullaby in my head. It was the same lullaby I would use to hum Ronnie to sleep.

The memories came and went. I'd put my youngest brother to sleep often. I'd watch after both of my younger brothers, especially when my mother was so busy keeping house. That was her duty, keeping the house—and us—spotless.

I recalled her brushing my hair as she stood behind me at my vanity, insisting that I'd have to employ one hundred brush strokes every night to my long, golden tresses. She knew what she was talking about. I'd inherited her lush, blonde hair, and she'd always kept it lovely.

It went well with every gorgeous dress my father would come home with about every other week. The last that he had given me was a lovely powder blue satin and organza piece that he thought would be good for my bridal shower.

I choked on a sob then.

There would be no more bridal shower now.

It was dark and silent for a timeless space. The throbbing pain was still there, and I was eager for it to lessen. The end couldn't come soon enough. I was losing so much blood that the snow now falling on me was no longer melting away from my skin. My temperature was dropping, able to sustain the frozen fluffy ice that began to accumulate on me in layers.

I braced myself, ready to shut my eyes to the world forever.

I hadn't lived the full life I wanted, but now, the one man who I thought I loved had single-handedly destroyed me—my perfect future, my perfect body, my perfect life.

I was no longer willing to live.

I welcomed death.

I felt a sudden presence that barely roused me. Something shook me, and pulled me. I heard metal clacking onto the cobblestone street, a person shifting on his or her feet.

"Oh, my," I heard a male voice say. It was smooth, like velvet. It sounded better than anyone's voice I'd ever heard. I heard him exhale, in sheer pity. "Rosalie Hale." He recognized me!

I was flipped onto my back carefully. I felt myself blush with what blood my body had left, knowing that I was exposed indecently, certain parts of my body bare for a purpose. I felt stark naked, completely stripped of my virtue, my dignity. I was tarnished, violated and impure, and this person was about to see it all first hand.

I felt exposed to the man hovering above me.

But my thoughts took another turn. Maybe this was good. Maybe this was enough evidence to convictRoyce of his crime.

Did he know? Did he see Royce and his hooligan friends? Please, God, make sure he saw who did this to me.

I was able to open my eye, the one that wasn't swollen shut. My vision was blurred, mostly by the snow that had settled on my lashes. Behind them, I slowly focused on the fair-haired man in a white coat.

Even in my dying stupor, I recognized Doctor Cullen, the beautiful man with a beautiful wife and beautiful brother in law, Edward Platt, who attended my school.

"Such a shame," he whispered quietly, to himself. "Such a waste."

With my last dying words I wanted to name the person that had done this to me. I wanted justice for my life, for my family. I desperately wanted to tell him with my final breath that Royce was my assailant. I needed him to notify my family, and tell my father at once. I made an effort to speak, but all that came out was a strangled moan.

"There, there," he soothed. Suddenly I felt him checking over my vital signs, when I realized he was helping to save my life.

I struggled to speak again. I wanted to tell him about Royce, and then tell him it was too late. I wanted to die. I wanted him to let me die.

His strange golden eyes look at me with such pity.

I felt a wave of shame. That wasn't the way I wanted people to look at me.

He looked into my eyes with warmth and kindness. "We'll get you better."

_No!_

I began to shake, frantically. I wanted to reach out and stop his hands from working on me.

_Leave me,_ I wanted to say. Irritation was tingling in my limbs as I felt him check me with his frigid hands. It didn't startle me that his hands were so cold. I figured it was from the unusual snowfall and freezing temperatures.

_Please stop,_ I urged him in my mind, but my voice and lips were not in my control anymore. _Let me die!_

He wasn't listening. He continued to work, fiddling with his medical gadgets and his hands began to pump my chest to give me more air. He kept at work to keep me alive, not comprehending my weak attempt to stop him.

_No!_

This was horrible. Almost second to the rape I was subjected to hours ago.

_You idiot. I want to die! Stop this right now!_

I began to weep again.

I wanted to scream at him, and tell him to leave me be. But I couldn't, and he continued to misinterpret every sound I made as a cry for help.

_Stop! Let me die, God damn it! _

After a short while, it seemed that I was winning. I was dying, and he knew it. I could see it in the helplessness of his kind face. He knew it was hopeless.

Ironically, I was more hopeful. _I get to die_, I thought.

But suddenly, he gathered his things. Something about it was strange, like a light bulb had turned on in his head.

He'd lifted me effortlessly from the ground, and just like that, we glided forward at an alarming speed.

Even as I drifted to and fro, my mind continued to run, having illusions of heaven. It was because of the doctor's pace. It felt like we were flying. I was waiting for wings to sprout from his back, because the flight was just unimaginably smooth.

I was sure we were flying. I wondered if the doctor was actually an angel from heaven for a moment. It would explain why he was even more beautiful than I was.

It wasn't long before I found myself in a warm room, the light bright and shining in my eyes. I was slipping away, and the sharp pain of my injuries was finally beginning to dull. I couldn't help but be grateful.

I felt myself being placed on a soft surface. Was that a bed? I wasn't sure.

"Be reborn, my child," he whispered.

In the next moment, I felt sharp edge pierce into my neck, and shock overtook me. I screamed as the sharpness continued, cutting away at my wrists, my ankles… every joint in my body.

Had he taken me here to hurt me more?

But that wasn't the worst of it. I wish I was warned that the worst was yet to come. Suddenly, I was burning as if being burned at the stake. What did he do to me?

It was hard to concentrate as the fire raged through me. Nothing else mattered except that I was being burned alive.

I felt a hand take mine, and I knew it was the Doctor's. I took it because I had no choice. I was in flames, and any comfort was welcome.

Every time I screamed, I would hear his velvet voice apologize, and promise that the burning would end.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, but it didn't help. It didn't stop the fire from continuing to incinerate my body. I could feel it to my bones.

I screamed for them to kill me. I was able to open my eyes when Mrs. Cullen came home to beg for her to end my life. She wouldn't do such a thing, holding my other hand in hers, occasionally sitting to stroke her hand through my hair.

Was anyone else burning but me?

Dr. Cullen stayed by my side, sitting with me, my hand gripping his. He told me everything at once. Vampire. A new life. Bloodlust. Immortality.

No.

_No!_

Sometimes I listened. Sometimes I didn't; the flames were too strong for me to comprehend anything.

The inferno consumed me, holding me against the bed. The flames held me against my will.

I writhed and moaned, my teeth clenched so hard it was painful.

Throughout the burn, I held onto my memories of the last night of my life—my visit to Vera's house, my unfortunate run-in with Royce and company that ended me completely.

That was, unless Dr. Cullen spoke of what was happening to me.

Whatever nonsense he uttered about being a vampire, I didn't believe him.

When Mrs. Cullen's brother came home, I pleaded for him to kill me as well. He paid my request no mind.

His reaction was different from Mrs. Cullen's. He was extremely upset with Carlisle for taking me. I hadn't been under for long, but I heard every word of his tense conversation with his brother in law. He wasn't pleased that Dr. Cullen had chosen to change me. He wasn't pleased with _me_. Even burning, I was irritated with him, mortified at how disgusted he sounded when he uttered my name.

One thing was certain: he would not be my favorite in this family.

There was only one thing that pleased me from that discussion.

"Don't you think she's just a little recognizable, though?" the doctor's brother in law asked him. I didn't know Edward Platt too well from school, and I had a feeling I didn't want to. "The Kings will have put up a large search—not that anyone suspects the fiend."

It was strange to feel pleasure and satisfaction that they knew Royce was guilty, even when the flames continued to spread through me.

"What are we going to do with her?" Mrs. Cullen's irritated brother asked. His question reeked of disgust, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth for him.

I heard Dr. Cullen sigh. "That's up to her, of course. She may want to go her own way."

I cringed at the doctor's statement through my writhing in sweltering agony.

I'd heard enough about the vampire story for me to believe—for me to know I didn't want to do this alone. I just couldn't. It wasn't a life I wanted, but my life had ended once Royce and company did what they did, and there was no going back for me. Like hell if I'd experience this second life by myself.

I might as well been dead because it felt like cremation. I burned for what felt like an immeasurable amount of time.

And then the pain finally ended. Had I really been burning for just three days? It had felt like weeks on end sometimes, embers eating away at my tissue. Flinching. Suffering. I was in shock that it was finally over.

As I stood for the first time, on my perfect feet, in the most graceful stance I'd ever stood, they explained everything to me again. Vampire. Immortality. Frozen for eternity.

As they explained, I realized what this would mean for my future—my physical body, unchanging for the rest of my existence. No children. No death. "No," I breathed in a sob.

My heart, the one I knew was now frozen and dead, pulverized within me. Millions of pieces of broken glass, but now finer than sand.

I wanted to scream, but looking at the Cullens held me in reserve from doing so. The kindness in the doctor's eyes, in his wife's smile, kept me from acting out against them. Even with Edward in the opposite corner, with a scowl on his face, observing quietly from where he stood, I couldn't be angry with all of them. I couldn't fault them for imprisoning me into this life. How could they have known what I wanted?

I didn't deny it anymore. I couldn't.

I believed.

I felt my skin, hard as marble, cold as winter. I took my first breath, with a painful burn, much like what I'd experienced during the transformation, but not to its full extent. It was the thirst, it scorched in my throat, and they told me that I needed to hunt immediately.

That was it. It was done.

I was a vampire.

But there was one more thing I needed to do before I went on my first hunt with Dr. Cullen and his family.

I caught a light bouncing off a shiny object in a room across the hall. My new supernatural vision knew what it was. Slowly, I floated to the mirror that hung on the opposing wall.

I froze as I studied the stunning woman staring back at me with the most frightening eyes of fiery hell.

I gasped at their startling color. My eyes. The word "frightening" was an understatement. They'd send anyone away screaming.

There was no doubt anymore of what I was in my mind.

I was a monster.

I stood for several moments in shock. I could feel three very curious sets of eyes watching me as I observed myself.

I forced myself to accept it— to accept what I was. I vowed at that moment that the distaste for my new nature would not prevent me from being the best at it.

Once I got past the scary eyes, I was able to scrutinize the face, and suddenly a wave of reprieve crashed through me, gathering the pieces of my pulverized heart.

The woman's face with the scary eyes stared back at me.

I gasped once again.

Absolutely breathtaking.

A strange sense of satisfaction washed over me as my eyes drank in my loveliness. I traced the features of my face with my fingertips in amazement. I turned my head side to side. My bone structure was enhanced, much like a goddess. My lips pouted even prettier. There was no sign of my broken nose, or any scar or wounds on me. In fact my nose was flawless. Both eyes, though frightening in color, matched each other perfectly, beneath a thick shelter of the longest, fullest, darkest lashes I'd ever laid eyes on.

I was still gorgeous. _Undeniably flawless._

In fact, the transformation only improved my already striking human features.

I was the most beautiful thing I'd _ever _seen.

I realized then that I wouldn't have any issues attaining whatever I would want to have that was possible in this new life. I could feel the strength of my body, combined with my looks. I knew many things would be easy.

And my first task in this new body was completely obvious to me.

I would be unstoppable when I went to avenge my death. I couldn't resent the kind and gentle Dr. Cullen for this situation, but I sure as hell can blame someone for taking everything I wanted away from me. My mind fixed on a certain young gentleman caller and his quartet of merry queers.

Royce King the Second was going to pay.

My perfect lips curled into a wicked grin as I contemplated my plan of attack. My quest for vengeance.

My plan for justice. Retribution.

I would come after them one by one, and then come after Royce last so he would know that I was coming. I knew exactly what I'd wear for the occasion as well.

There was nothing that could stop me from getting what I wanted with the way I looked and what I could do in this body.

I was so sure of that fact at that moment.

It would be another two years until I would meet my match, and be proven wrong of that very thought.

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**Endnotes**

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing **

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For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the Vanity and Patience/Strength and Remorse thread in the Twilighted Forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	2. Chapter 1: Mirror Mirror

**Author's Note:**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight.

All Chapters are Rosalie's Point of View

Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.

Original Betas for this chapter: Anishaluvsu & Ledybug.

Most Recently Revised 5/11/2010 by ProjectTeamBeta member Kelly/idealistic4ever

Playlist:

Alicia Keys - Caged Bird

Depeche Mode - Precious

Kate Bush/Maxwell - This Woman's Work

Carlie Simon - You're So Vain

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**Preface:**

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Dressed head to toe in ivory and white, my stomach filled of butterflies as I looked for the one thing that mattered the most, and crowds parted amongst the sea of people to allow me a glance. My chest filled with warmth where my heart once beat.

As I turned the corner, the sight of it grew more detailed, and my heart ached for its loveliness. For its light. I grinned, my eyes never leaving the sight, and I was overcome with a tidal wave of emotions and memories.

The dreary clouds of my fruitless, lonely existence parted to make way for the beams of sunlight. Every heartache and disappointment I experienced—every day of laughter and smiles, all came to this very day. Everything that happened to me happened to bring me to this very moment. And even if—buried deep down inside of me—I did want the impossible, and longed for a human life, this breaking moment overshadowed such a desire. I knew that within my immortality, and in this eternity, I belonged to that which stood before me.

All of my patience had manifested into the reward of this one great moment.

It was like a magnetic force that drew me down that silk draped walkway, as I positively floated in all my beauty towards my future.

My destiny.

Where I belong.

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**Chapter 1: Mirror, Mirror**

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It was a rainy day in early September of 1935, in the most southwestern point of the state of Virginia. Amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding thick forests of the Shenandoah Valley sat the small town of Appalachia where my family and I just moved to last year.

From my desk, I stared out the window, watching streams of water running down its glass planes. I sat in a classroom full of my fellow classmates as the teacher, Mrs. Klinger, lectured us on the Revolutionary War. It was the second week of yet another year of high school. I was a senior. It was another mundane day at school.

My adopted brother, Edward, a junior, was in the same World History class with me. I caught him shifting in his seat from the corner of my eye, He sighed out of boredom from the lecture. I pursed my lips, thinking that it was unfair that I had to share a class with him, given we were in different graduating years. As if it wasn't enough that I already had to live with him, it was ridiculous that I had to take the same course with him as well. This senior level class of mine was an advanced placement course for him, being one of two overachieving juniors in the class. _Just my luck._

Exhaling, I tuned out the lecture and stared out the window. As the clouds moved, a very dim grayish glint of sunlight shed through the rain as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window. _My, my, Rosalie Hale, you look wonderful, _I gushed to myself_._ My pale, ultra-white complexion was flawless and luminous, causing my full, rose-red lips to turn up in a small smile. It seemed every angle of my face was cast using the ancient mathematic theory used by the Greeks and Italian Renaissance in art known as the golden ratio, leaving me with the bone structure of a goddess.

I realize I was perceived as vain, but my looks were the very source of my pride and, quite frankly, I didn't really care what people thought.

My wavy golden hair flowed down to the middle of my back as I chose leave it down that morning, with some locks framing the face that I was blessed with. Despite the constant rain, I held on tightly to my umbrella as I went into school that morning, effectively shielding my hair and face from getting wet. I didn't want my makeup to run, but I knew there wasn't much on my face to ruin in the downpour anyway. Really I only needed some blush on my cheeks, a slight dab of lipstick on my lips, and a touch of mascara on my long, full curly lashes that framed my gloriously large eyes.

_Ugh, my eyes._

I frowned suddenly as I noticed that my irises—normally a liquid golden topaz—were many shades a darker, almost ochre-brown in color, only a few days away from becoming completely black from thirst. The slight purple tint under the socket of my eyes showed a bit darker today, as I suddenly realized it has been ten days since my last hunt. _I will need to hunt tonight, _I told myself.

I noticed the collar of my cotton white button-up shirt was slightly crooked. I straightened it out, before I carefully arranged my hair—with my well-manicured fingers—so it fell effortlessly in golden waves over my shoulders. _Perfect,_ I thought to myself with satisfaction.

I saw from the corner of my eye, my adopted "little" brother, Edward, shook his disheveled bronze coiffure of a head as he read my thoughts in what he so often referred to as my "shallow little mind." I rolled my eyes. He sat three rows behind me, and five seats to the left, but with his unique, enhanced ability to read the minds of others within about a three-mile radius, he could hear my thoughts loud and clear.

_Get out of my head, Edward, if you don't like what you hear_, I directed in my thoughts towards him.

"Trust me, Rose, I'm trying," he mumbled low enough that only I would be able to hear with my superhuman abilities.

I huffed in annoyance, and quickly turned back to face the front of the classroom, making it appear like I was listening to Mrs. Klinger's lecture and taking notes. I shifted in my seat once more and purposefully blinked my eyes. I was keeping with this Cullen charade of fitting in with the rest of the humans in class—and human society as a whole, for that matter—not that the mortals would ever notice too much. Humans never sat or stood close enough to us; their unconscious natural sense of self-preservation told them to keep away from us. Naturally so, they were in their own rights for self-preservation, and I couldn't begrudge them for it.

It had over two years since Dr. Carlisle Cullen, our creator and adopted father, found me lying on the streets of Rochester, New York, left to die. I had barely survived after being severely beaten and violently demoralized by my then fiancé, Royce King the II, and four of his hooligan friends. As murky as these human memories had become, the pain from that night still felt as real as ever, reliving the events that were the catalyst for the loss of my humanity every single day. Images of them flashed before me—the pain of all of them ripping my clothes off and slamming me onto the cold, hard, stone ground and having their way with me—and I let out a shudder at the thought. They had defiled my pure and virtuous body. Tormented and beaten to a pulp, I was left that cold night to die on the cobblestone street.

_I should have died. _

Out of the kindness of his heart, Carlisle had but every intention to save me from dying, and give me a life that he thought I might have wanted… as a vampire. The scent of my blood attracted him to me on the street that night. Carlisle took me home, changed me, and welcomed me into his family, with his loving wife, Esme and adopted son, Edward. Though his intentions were good, he was deafly mistaken. If I was conscious enough to speak for myself, and educated in each path, I would have easily chosen mortal death. After over two years of being a vampire, my life as a human felt like an eternity ago… the life that I now coveted.

I knew I couldn't be angry about my change towards Carlisle and his mate and devoted wife, Esme. Their combined care and love for each other as well as for their adopted children—Edward and myself— would warm the coldest of hearts, no matter how resentful I was to this sentence of eternity. I knew that Carlisle felt that my death would be much of a waste. From hence, he and Esme have been good to me, giving me much more luxury than just a roof over my head. I was certainly lucky to have them as my family in this life, and I was appreciative to them for that. Yet I could not stop the resentment that I was never given a choice in the matter, and now I was stuck for all of eternity in this purgatory of thirst and fixed damnation.

It was the human life that I longed to live to its end, with a loving husband and—dare I say it—babies. There was no guarantee that I would ever be fortunate enough to find a mate as a vampire—one that was so perfect for me like Carlisle was for Esme. I was flooded with visions from my human life—my last day as a human— when I visited my good friend Vera and her family. That kiss she received from her husband when he thought I wasn't looking, so simple and understated, was the most tender and loving gesture I could grow green of jealousy for. It was questionable if I would ever feel that kind of love, or receive it, much less marry one day.

However, the most torturous reality of my new life was that I had all of eternity to never know what it would feel like to be a mother. I thought of the lovely baby boy named Henry, my good friend Vera's son, of which I was enamored with, with his deep dimples and dark curly hair, and infectious laughter. As if I needed another reason to be completely envious of her. The immortal, unchanging bodies of a vampire left me frozen in an eighteen-year-old young woman's body, and consequently rendered barren. I would never know the feeling of a child grow inside me—of its tiny hand taking hold of my fingers, of watching them go to school for the first time, of knowing the simple, yet satisfying, joys of motherhood. I would never sit on a porch somewhere, next to my husband of fifty years, old and grey, with our many grandchildren climbing on top of one another to take a cherished seat on our laps. I sighed and shook my head, catching the attention of Edward another time.

"Stop it, Rose," he mumbled quickly and quietly, too low or too fast for others to hear with their human ears. "Don't torture yourself over that." As annoying as he was, he sometimes took the roll as the loyal and loving brother.

Only the rarest of occasions would I grant Edward the satisfaction of listening to him, but, in this case I did. Though his intrusion into my thoughts was far from welcomed, I could not be upset with him for his kind suggestion. I chose to distract my thoughts yet again by tuning in as a classmate read a passage from our textbooks about the Thirteen Colonies.

Outwardly, I was cold and reserved—a socially refined, statuesque beauty. I would try my best to hide any resentment I had for my unchanging circumstance. I was going to do the best I can in this life and I wasn't about to show that the weight of its consequences would weigh me down. My adoptive parents' love and my reliable good looks were the only things that kept me sane. My remarkable beauty led people to watch me, yet I knew no one ever _saw_ me, and what was really in my heart. I let out a small, breathy, sarcastic chuckle, as I knew my heart had physically died and stopped beating when I was changed.

The school day had been monotonous. I couldn't wait for the end of the day, and when it finally came, I was more than relieved. I held my books tucked under one arm, and my umbrella on the other hand as I pushed my way out of the double doors of the school. My slender 5'9" figure carried anything well, my fitted grey skirt and black heels enhanced my long legs. The male student body, and some members of faculty, watched me with eagerness. I slowed down for their benefit and smiled internally, swaying my hips to make them go crazy.

I strolled out to the car where Edward was already sitting, waiting impatiently in the driver's seat of his brand new navy blue 1935 Volvo PV36 Carioca Sedan, shaking his head once again. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in his rear view mirror I once again smiled at the vision that was I.

"Incredible," he sneered, peering at me from the corner of his eyes. "Took you long enough."

"What's your problem?" I asked. It was no secret that he and I weren't exactly best friends. In fact, I couldn't stand him most of the time. I tolerated him for the most part. "And why don't you ever let me drive?'

"Hah, like I'll let you touch my car. I've been itching to go home, and I don't really feel like having your slow vanity-driven pace keep me here for long," he said without even looking at me.

_Moron,_ I growled at him, internally.

I secretly decided in my head that I would jump into the deep waters of car mechanical knowledge, having already started to tamper under the hood of Carlisle's vehicle for weeks now. I would teach myself how to build and operate on cars, and once I had enough money saved up I would buy one of my own. Though the combined income of Carlisle and Esme suited our lavish lifestyle, I couldn't ask them to pay for such a thing. My dream was something shiny, expensive, red, and _fast_.

I gritted my teeth and got into the car. Just as I shut the door, Edward almost immediately peeled out of the parking lot. I watched as the four-story red brick structure known as Appalachia High School became a small dot in the side view mirror. He sped through town and up through the highway, making a right hand turn onto the small road that lead through the woods up to our home. The ride was tense and filled with awkward silence as we approached the grounds of our estate. News had recently been conveyed to both of us about my original purpose in the Cullen family, and we were not very comfortable with it.

Carlisle's black 1930 Bentley Mayfair Coupe was parked outside. He was a doctor at Lonesome Pine, the hospital in nearby Stone Gap, who typically worked long hours—not that it mattered to us. As vampires, none of us ever slept, and were incapable of periods of unconsciousness. Carlisle could work nonstop for two weeks if he so desired. I was surprised to see that he was there, but his schedule was so erratic it was hard to keep track.

Edward and I stepped out of the car making it up the porch steps of our grand, three-story art deco home before walking through the door. The beige brick covered structure was not your average house you would find out here in rural mountain Virginia, with its rounded corners and semi-circle shaped protrusion of our living room, but never the less here existed in the woods of Wise County. It was a five-bedroom home with three and a half baths, not that we used the bathroom often. On the opposite side from the rounded living room was a two-car garage. It wasn't huge by any means, but certainly larger than most homes in such a small town. It was one of Esme, my mother's newest creations—modern and sleek for 1935.

The pale color palette of the interior that marked the taste of my adopted mother, Esme's impeccable design sense was subtle enough to touch you but not attack you at the sight. The walls were always a pale muted color, with antique dark wood pieces collected by Esme and Carlisle from around the world. The plush seating was upholstered in luxurious fabrics of rich hues, as were the floor-to-ceiling drapery that flanked our windows.

In the kitchen, a room hardly used in a vampire household, was Esme with her caramel hair pulled up in a pile of curls on her head, looking over blue prints of yet another one of her architectural masterpieces. She sat at the table as Carlisle stood behind her with his arms around her neck mumbling things into her ear that I probably didn't want to hear. They giggled together as he planted tiny kisses on the side of her head. I watched half in disgust, and half in awe.

"Ahem," Edward cleared his throat with a half smile, trying to kill the lovesick romance between our parents.

"Oh, sweethearts!" Esme exclaimed, startled at the site of us. "You're both home!" She got up and ran to kiss us both on the cheek, the curls of her upswept hair dancing on top of her head. Her soft curves were a nice frame for the short-sleeved belted mustard dress she wore today.

Carlisle followed hugging us each immediately after his wife, his lean, six-foot form still in his white lab coat with a white shirt and charcoal tie underneath. It was only recently that I took to hugging them back willingly. My longing for my previous life prevented me from accepting the Cullen family as my own for almost two years after I was changed.

Edward pulled away from Carlisle, his broad shoulders slumping. He quickly excused himself to his room, probably to write more self-loathing entries in his journals. His spiky red-tinted hair and six foot medium built figure disappeared up the staircase. I rolled my eyes, turning back to my adopted mother as I heard her begin to speak.

"How was your day, dear?" Esme asked me. She was always so caring. Even though it took a while for me to accept the three of them as family, I could never deny Esme's tender nature.

"It was alright," I replied, trying not to sound too glum. Though they both knew how much this life was not my desire, I respected them enough not to demonstrate such feelings.

"How do you like your new school?" Esme continued to ask.

"It's not bad. I'm slowly but surely getting into a routine," I said, hoping that would be enough of an answer that she'd drop it. I wasn't too keen on the fact that I was going to repeat high school and college over and over for all of eternity.

I turned to face both parents. "Carlisle, Esme, I'll see you in a few hours. I'm going hunting," I told them.

"Now?" Carlisle asked. "But we were going as a family on Thursday. Surely you can wait until then?" He looked hopeful, with his blonde hair brushed neatly away from his handsome face, eyes bright and citrine. My family's eyes were all golden, unlike other vampires' red eyes, a marker for our unique lifestyle of a "strictly-animal-only" diet. We therefore referred to ourselves as "vegetarians," though technically, we were far from it.

Carlisle stood with one arm around Esme's waist, awaiting my reply. He was all about family unity, and though I applauded him for his efforts in keeping it, I couldn't comply all the time. Having recently learned of his real intention for me when he changed me, things were a bit awkward for Edward and me, and in turn made things less easy with the family.

"Carlisle, I'd really love this chance to hunt alone, just this once please," I said with the utmost respect. "Besides I don't think I'd want my eyes to turn darker than they already are. Nor do I want the circles under my eyes to get any darker; I look atrocious."

They both snickered.

"Ah, my Rosalie, you never fail to be yourself," Carlisle teased lightly.

I flashed them a winning smile in response. "I'll be home in two or three hours."

He nodded his head, silently granting his permission to let me go out alone.

Esme simply smiled at me, leaning her head against Carlisle's shoulder. "Be careful, Rose."

I chuckled a bit at her request, ever the loving mother that she was, always worrying unnecessarily. What dangers would there be that a vampire would need to be careful? "I will," I responded kindly.

With that, I was out the window in one giant leap, and took off towards the woods.

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**Author's End Note:**

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	3. Chapter 2: The Hunted

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight.

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

Original betas: Anishaluvsu and LedyBug

Thank you also to my Twilighted Beta: texbelle

Most Recent Revision 5/11/2010 by ProjectTeam Beta Members Zombie's Run This Town and Coreenm

Playlist:

Depeche Mode - Somebody

Hall & Oates - Maneater

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**Chapter 2: The Hunted**

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As I charged southwest through the forests and crossed the state line well into Tennessee, I cleared my head of my thoughts. Absentmindedly, I used my preternatural sense of smell to catch the scent of animals nearby, but nothing at the moment claimed my hunger as the thirst started to burn in my throat.

Two years. Over two years of training myself into the Cullen's way of life, in being a unique coven—a family. Vampires so rarely valued human life the way our family did_. _We learned to control our thirst for human blood, which was the means of our very existence. We were united in our wish to avoid taking human lives to satiate our thirst. We learned to control the natural thirst for human blood, and instead drank the blood of animals. We hunted wildlife every so often, concentrating on certain areas of overpopulation, careful not to disturb ecological systems and territories. We were unique from most other vampires. Our compassion for people, coupled with the absence of their blood in our system, left us capable of loving one another as a family, rather than existing in a fiery rage of bloodlust and not caring about its effects on others. We were able to stand as one large united coven together.

_Two years and a million more to go_, I thought to myself.

Don't get me wrong. I loved my adoptive parents, and although I resented that I was stuck in this frozen state of a viral infection of burning thirst for all of eternity, I was grateful to Carlisle for saving me. I was determined to live my life as a vampire as well as Carlisle did with his admirable compassion for human life, and Esme with her passionate love for her husband and her now two adopted children, Edward and me. I undoubtedly was sure I could live it better than my "brother," with his tortured-soul-like thoughts of isolation and boring way of living this life. He lived it just to exist, going through the motions of living in the human façade, but not actually _living._ I didn't want that for myself.

I would hunt when I needed to, doing it neatly and discretely as vampire law required. I get up every day to go to school, put on my best face, and study new things. I practiced the piano, and had recently taken up a new hobby: learning the mechanics of automobiles. I discovered quickly that this would become my new favorite hobby. The evenings were dedicated to hobbies and the arts. I wanted to study ballroom dance lessons—waltz, foxtrot, and the latest—swing. I had plans to go to college next year and study fashion merchandising with a minor in music. I knew that I would have to repeat high school and college for many years to come, so I put forth the first courses I really wanted out of the way. It would be my first time attending college and I wanted to enjoy it. Later I could study other interests: psychology, art history, English, and dance.

I knew I had no true motivating reason to live, but I was okay with that. Unlike Esme and Carlisle, I was alone. I was unsure that I would ever find that kind of companionship and was convinced it would never happen for me. I had no inspiration but my determination to carry me through my days. There was nothing I couldn't do, and I was steadfast that, even though I resented this life, I was going to live it and live it well.

There was, however, the disturbing truth behind Carlisle's intention for me and his family. Although I was sure it was out of love for his son and the kindness of his huge heart that he wanted Edward to be happy, it was rather ridiculous and uncomfortable that he had chosen me for Edward.

It was just last week when Edward and I were practically forced to play chess by our parents, and Edward decided to argue my last move. We sat at the dining room table as Esme and Carlisle were sitting side-by-side in the living room, each reading different sections of the paper. I was irritated at how Edward could read my mind, and I felt like he was cheating with his ability. We were bickering throughout the game.

"If they didn't quarrel like brother and sister, I would assume they fought like lovers," Esme playfully kidded.

"Well, wouldn't that be in order? Given the circumstances in which I thought Rose a good fit in this family to begin with, I did tell you I thought her a good match for him," I heard Carlisle respond, laughing along.

Edward and I both froze, looking up from the chess board over to the living room as I gasped at what his statement insinuated.

"Carlisle? What did you just say?" Edward asked, his face in utter disgust.

Carlisle's eyes grew wide, realizing only then that he had slipped. He looked over at Edward, and they both stared intently at each other for a few moments. I was sure that Carlisle was communicating to him mentally, and Edward was picking his brain.

"Don't you dare go talking to each other silently," I sneered at them both before getting up from my chair. "Carlisle, is it true?" I asked stepping towards him. "Your intentions were for me to be," I gulped before continuing, "Edward's mate?"

Carlisle cleared his throat nervously, and Esme held his hand. From that one move alone, I realized they both knew of his intentions.

"Esme, you knew, too?" I asked, disbelief coloring my voice. "Did _you_ know about this?" I hissed at Edward, turning my head to him as my golden locks whipped around in the wake of my move. Surely, Edward would have heard it in Carlisle's thoughts.

"Does it seem that way to you?" he asked sarcastically, his formerly shocked face now one of irritation. "Do I not _look_ just as surprised?"

I glared at him, narrowing my long-lashed eyes in his direction before turning back to Carlisle, staring intently at him for a response.

Carlisle, a bit ill at ease, confirmed with a nod. "It wasn't the only reason. I also wanted you as a daughter and a member of this family. You fought so hard to live that long. Any other human would have died sooner in your condition. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I thought you might make a wonderful companion for Edward."

At that statement, Edward immediately broke out into fits of laughter. "Rosalie as my mate? How absurd!"

"I had been careful of my thoughts for this long. Obviously I knew I couldn't keep it to myself forever," Carlisle explained calmly.

Edward continued to chortle through Carlisle's statement. My temper flared at such a reaction.

Immediately I turned to Edward, my eyes shooting daggers at his foolish outburst. "I'm glad you find this amusing," I mocked him. I turned to Carlisle, disappointment written all over my expression. "Surely, Carlisle, you cannot be serious. _Edward?"_

Edward guffawed even harder at my question, and I switched my eyes back to him, snarling and baring my teeth. He realized then that I was serious, my thoughts running angry, humiliated, screaming nonsense, and was beginning to find his reaction a little offensive.

"Pipe down, Rosalie, please," Esme muttered. "He doesn't mean it in that way."

"Like hell he doesn't!" I growled, my gaze still locked evilly at Edward, and with that I was out the door as I ran deep into the forest to find peace.

A mere three hours later that evening, I returned home, the family waiting for me, concerned. Edward never apologized officially, but his silence and the cautious expression he wore when I came through the door was enough for me to know he wasn't going to make it hard on me either. In fact, it seemed he felt just as awkward about it as I did.

The flashback blurred from my mind as my vision returned to the forest in my run. I swerved to miss trees and leaped the bodies of water in my path toward a target for my hunt. Unfortunately, the thought of Edward still haunted me.

Me? And Edward? To be his love? His mate? His companion for eternity?

_Edward? _

Sure Edward wasn't unfortunate looking. In fact he was easy on the eyes once you got passed the complicated, closed-off exterior. He had magazine-worthy features with a perfectly straight nose, dark lash-framed large golden eyes, pouty lips, and a square jaw. He was tall, toned, and lean. His body wasn't that of a brawny body builder, but it was decent. During my human life when I would see him around town, I regarded him as very good-looking. I would have graciously taken to him if he courted me, as he was even more handsome than Royce. However, I also was vain enough to be jealous of his good looks, as well as Esme, who posed as his older sister, and Carlisle, his supposed brother-in-law. In fact my vanity made me quite envious of the Cullen Family's beauty, especially the men. Of course I didn't know they were vampires back then, and that such creatures would possess lovely features to attract their prey.

In another world, like my human life, maybe I would have been attracted to Edward and made an effort to get along with him. However, from the first day of my life with this family I resented him and found him insanely vexatious.

It was the night that Carlisle found me. In my changing state, I still lay there between the screaming from the burn of the venom, but was strong enough to overhear Carlisle and Edward. Edward wasn't happy.

"What were you thinking, Carlisle?" Edward asked, his irritated tone etched in my mind. "_Rosalie Hale?"_

The way he said my name with utter disgust irritated me to my gut, and I wasn't even fully awake and conscious yet. His tone implied that there was something wrong with me. If it had not been for the excruciating fire of the venom working to kill my human body during my transformation, I would have sat up to give a piece of my mind. _Who was he to say those things about me?_

"I know," Edward said, seeming dismissive. The blood, or venom I suppose, began to run cold in my veins. I was angered by him, not knowing he could read Carlisle's mind at the time.

"It was too much waste. I couldn't leave her," Carlisle repeated in a whisper.

"Of course you couldn't," Esme agreed in a comforting tone. I was sure I was going to like her.

Edward proceeded to argue with Carlisle about his choice in saving me, not gaining an understanding of his creator's wishes. "People die all the time," he reminded Carlisle through his teeth, in a hard voice. I could almost hear venom pouring out of his words. "Don't you think she's just a little recognizable, though? The Kings will have to put up a huge search—not that anyone suspects the fiend," he growled.

I wanted to snarl but a scream let out of me instead, the singed veins in my body impairing my flesh of nothing but the feeling of raw agony. I couldn't be upset completely, however, because I pleased me to find that they seemed to know that Royce was guilty.

"What are we going to do with her?" Edward asked, disgusted with me. _Disgusted! _The liquid in my veins continued to run cold.

I lay there hopelessly as Edward sat there, arguing with Carlisle about his choice in changing me. He was concerned that I would be recognized, being the most beautiful girl in town, and the late fiancé of bank owner Royce King's son. He didn't realize I could hear the whole conversation. Though I was pleased that they seemed to know it was Royce who was guilty, nothing else of that conversation was pleasant. Affronted by his unjustified dislike of me, a large bubble of bitterness formed for Edward in my chest. That set the stage for my attitude toward him to this day.

To add insult to injury, unlike every male I've ever known, Edward never showed much attraction to me. This bothered me. All my life I turned the heads of all males of all ages, races, shapes and sizes, and, sometimes, even females—everyone that I come into visual contact with. From the time I hit puberty at the tender age of twelve, I was admired by most, and those who didn't admire were envious. As a result, Edward's lack of enthusiasm over my loveliness truly offended me, adding to the bitter bubble inside, and I honestly only got over it very recently. In fact, it may have been a few weeks ago that I realized he didn't show interest to anyone, female, or even male if he went that way, and that made me feel better.

I was far enough from the house to not be in Edward's mind-reading radar. In the privacy of my thoughts, I briefly considered what life would be like having him as a mate. Could I even bring myself to kiss those lips, or hold the hands that gripped so rigidly on the steering wheel on the way home? He was just so uptight and broody all the time. No matter how striking a young man he was, it felt awkward to picture it. Could his hand ever take mine so gently and guide me in this world for all of eternity? Would his kiss even taste like candy—which hoped secretly that the mouth of the love of my life would taste like? I couldn't even imagine if he would ever taste sweet.

I cringed, adjusting my skirt uncomfortably as I thought of Edward's lean, mildly-toned chest against my body. I tried to imagine what he would be like naked against me. Could I stand to make love to him? Curiosity filled my head for a very brief moment before I cringed yet again. He was attractive and physically desirable, no doubt, but repellant to me in many other ways.

I sorted out my feelings as I set aside my attraction. With what I had experienced with Royce, I knew that looks weren't everything in regards to finding the right partner for life. I considered Edward's blatant disregard and boredom with me—his unenthusiastic view of my appearance as well as the person I was. It was obvious that he belittled my narcissistic attitude. Could I ever truly love someone who deemed me so shallow and unworthy of his time?

Would Edward be the end-all happiness for me in this life? Surely, he couldn't be the answer. Certainly, we'd look beautiful together, but that would only be at the surface. Anyone could see how unsuitable we were for one another, no matter how much our good looks complimented each other. Not that it mattered that we weren't; I certainly wasn't mentally or emotionally attracted to him in that way. Nor did I ever feel anything but the natural love for an annoying twerp-like younger brother who bothered me to no end.

I was confused. In another respect, I had to admit we would make sense in some ways. Though it wasn't Carlisle's preference that I murdered my own assailants, it was Edward who gave me the understanding that I needed as I sought justice for my own death. He looked at me with no judgment when I returned home that night from sneaking out to kill Royce and his men. His eyes were rather gentle with an expression of compassion on his face. He had respected me enough not to interfere when I had to face Carlisle about my actions. I knew that he spent many years away from Carlisle to become a vigilante, killing humans much like Royce, who didn't deserve to live.

We were both in the same boat—not really wanting to exist in this life. Though we fought like siblings, we also agreed with each other on some important matters, however scarce they were. There was a growing love there that understanding and respect had given us for our common stance on being vampires. We were of the same side of a coin, not really accepting our sentence to eternity frozen as monsters. We just existed. I pondered on that thought for a moment. Could I find it in me to turn to him for something more than a sibling?

I shook my head, as if to shake off the thought and push my confusion aside. His tortured and detached way of life repelled me. He hated the monster that he was, while I resented this imprisoning existence. We would just bring each other down. I frowned at the idea that he would be my happiness. I could never find contentment with him as my companion.

_It would not be healthy_.

I nodded my head firmly to myself, pleased with my conclusion. If he was truly my destiny, I would gladly spend the rest of my eternal life denying it.

Me… and _Edward._

I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the concept.

I woke up suddenly from my thoughts as the scent of a carnivore assaulted me—a lion or a bear perhaps. I ran in its direction, hearing its movements, not far north of where I was. I hadn't realized I had traveled close to 100 miles away from home in all my deep thoughts.

I realized it was a bear as I moved closer and distinctly heard its footsteps, heartbeat, and growls. I was then about ten feet from it. I came to a halt, knowing that the bear was galloping just over the hill. I climbed up a nearby tree to get a better view of him and planned to leap off of it when it was time_. There you are_, I sneered inwardly, spotting him hurling towards the west. My mind was calculating my next move.

With a flash I launched myself off of the tree and onto the bear, a snarl rising from my chest and up my throat. He wrestled me, but I had a good grip on him, moving faster than he could probably see. I dogged his arms and sharp paws as he tried to scratch me out of his way. I growled at him angrily, and he growled back. I couldn't let him ruin my outfit, but he wasn't giving up without a fight.

I suddenly was overcome by a stronger scent that seemed to be interlaced with the bear's fur, but it wasn't animal at all. The burning in my throat increased, and the venom accumulated in my mouth exponentially. Confused by such a scent, I ignored it, too consumed with thirst for the bear.

With one swift movement, I grabbed his neck and snapped it, leaving the bear to waver before he fell to the ground. As I lifted him and prepared eagerly to bite into his throat, that other scent came crashing down on me… one that I knew all too well.

The scent of fresh blood was close and undeniably potent, but I couldn't figure out the source… it was overwhelmingly strong and decidedly… HUMAN? Shrugging it off, I tried my best to ignore it as the venom pooled in my mouth and the burning thirst impaired the top of my throat. _I'll finish off this bear, and this will hold me off for another few days,_ I thought to myself. But as I lifted the bear upward to meet my lips, I realized his paws were full of blood, and I immediately realized the source was the bear's paws. Could this creature have harmed a human so recently?

I looked around and listened carefully. A slight breeze came in from the south as I caught another whiff of the same human's blood. I dropped the bear and went running, snaking through the trees, the burning sensation assaulting me to no end. _Surely, I could be forgiven for finishing off an already dying human. _As I moved closer to the source, I could hear panting and groaning. It was a man in pain, still alive. _But not for long,_ the monster in me thought.

I had never once tasted human blood. In fact, my record for murders was close to perfect. It was about as perfect as Carlisle's, and much better than Edward's, or even Esme's. I had only seven murders on my hands—four of my attackers, two guards, and my asshole ex-fiancé. I went after them shortly after I had changed, in vengeance, but I never drank their blood. I was to have no part of them in me. I shook off the thought and paid attention to my next victim.

There on the ground, about twenty feet from a deserted campsite, lie the man whose scent allured me to no end. The draw to him was magnetic, and I was powerless to stop myself from reaching him. The monster in me smiled, and I felt a growl from the innermost core of my chest surface. _Mine!_

I approached him like a cat ready to pounce, preparing to suck him dry of all the good, luscious blood that was his. I knew that my family wouldn't agree completely with me tasting human blood after refraining for so long, but I also knew I would be forgiven for this one slip. My mouth filled with warmth and ached to taste his crimson nectar. I was in a lust craze at this point, but I was suddenly interrupted.

For some reason it was his cries for pain and help that I couldn't ignore. He lied on his stomach gasping for air; he wore brown pants, a beige shirt, and burgundy suspenders; his hiking books were all worn and torn_._ I could tell he was tall, maybe about 6'5. His arms were burly, surrounded by a thick band of muscle. Young, I presumed, maybe a couple years older than my frozen state, but approximately around my age.

A pool of his blood spread out in a one-foot circumference from his torso. I dipped my finger in it and brought it to my mouth for a taste. The burning arrested my senses yet again. _I am going to savor this moment,_ the psycho-killer in me thought, but then my thoughts didn't last for long.

His gasps of pain recovered my consciousness, and I knew I couldn't jump to finishing him off myself without at least checking if he could survive his wounds. I knelt next to him and flipped him over carefully. I made a quick survey of his body. The bear had mauled him, ripping his stomach and torso to shreds, the heat of his body sending currents through me. I shivered in response. There was no way he was going to survive it.

Suddenly, I felt his eyes on me.

"H-help… m-m-me," he barely breathed. His voice, though feeble, was oddly soothing to my ears, so much so that it seemed to speak to my soul, if I had one. My heart, should it have been alive, would have broken as I heard him say it. It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling. I turned my head slightly to look at him.

That's when I saw it. His face, innocent and beautiful, made my insides melt and I mentally fell to the floor as my eyes took him in. Huge hazel eyes stared back at me, pleading for my help.

I froze for a moment, my stomach churning into knots. Millions of thoughts raced and swirled in the confines of my mind, and my heart was anew as it flooded with an onslaught of emotion for the human being that lie on my lap.

Everything that I was, all that had given meaning to my life, all the ties that bonded me to anything — my love for and loyalty to the Cullen Family, my allegiance to Carlisle's compassion, my devotion to Esme's affection, the pride that my beauty gave me, even the residual love I still had for my human parents and brothers — were severed in that one moment.

It was like nothing else mattered in this world but the creature that I held in my arms at that very instant. I was now bound to this man with the gracious face, bound by millions of string woven into a beautiful and secure pattern.

It was the face that was about to make everything in my tattered little vampire existence change forever.

* * *

Author's Endnotes

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**Got Twitter? Follow me for the latest updates to all of my fics! Twitter Name: achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight. You can find a direct link on my profile.


	4. Chapter 3: Found

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

Warning: Lemons in Future Chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Will contain language, violence, and strong sexual content.

All Chapters are Rosalie POV

Thanks to my Beta: Beth, aka Ledybug, who is too awesome, too kind and too quick and thorough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

5/11/2010: Big thanks to Project Team Beta members Karie/SweetVenom69 and Kim/Kimmydonn for proofing the chapter!

Newly Edited 10/15/09

*NEW* Playlist:  
Incubus - Warning  
Avril Lavigne - I'm With You  
Sarah Mclachlan - Angel

* * *

**Chapter 3: Found**

It was a face that was so familiar to me, yet still, so unique that I knew I'd never seen before. On this full-grown, burly young man, sat the gentlest expression of timeless boyish innocence. It seemed out of place somehow—the face of cupid on a human male adult—but there it was. His short hair in dark curls were pressed against his face, held by the sheen of sweat on his forehead. He grimaced in agony—and to my surprise—there, on both cheeks, rested the deepest dimples.

I was immediately taken over by a human memory, and—although seeing it through vampire eyes was like looking at it through a pond of mud-thickened water—this man's face brought it back with the sharpest clarity. That very last day of my human life—before being disgraced by Royce and those gangsters—I had come to visit my good friend, Vera, and her husband, and infant son. The baby, little Henry, sat up by himself, a new ability he had picked up. His laugh was infectious; it was the most beautiful sound as it filled the whole first floor of their tiny home in downtown Rochester.

With blatant envy, I had wanted all of that for myself as a human, longing for a child of my own, that even now, when my unchanging vampire body rendered me incapable of such a thing, I still desired it. All of those emotions came back to me in a rush: Vera, my dear friend, married with a man who adored her, with her little Henry playing on the floor. I pictured Henry—the fair-skinned child with dark curls—the face of cupid and dimples for miles, the child whose memory brought me to my immortal knees.

The dying man now lying in my arms gasped loudly, bringing me out of my reverie. He winced in pain—my pain equaling his own as this wince cracked across the face of an angel. As his hazel eyes gazed back at me, I could tell he was trying to be brave and hold in his suffering. His eyes tried desperately to focus on me, but his health was deteriorating with every moment that passed. A tearless sob erupted from my chest as I bore witness to this.

The innocence in his face made my thirst begin to crumble into a million pieces. There was no way I would take his life and finish him off for the purpose of giving into the bloodlust. Besides, doing so would be cheating on my vegetarian way of being.

I knew that it was a rash decision, but suddenly I realized I couldn't just leave him to die. I gently lifted him up, and as quick as lightening, I was off in the direction home. I fought with every ounce of my strength to resist the draw of the pungent aroma of his blood. Periodically, during my run, I would glance down at him, so warm and light in my arms as my preternatural strength held him. His heavy panting slowed and began to fade. I ran faster, hurdling giant leaps over the rivers and streams on the way.

"Just hold on. Please, just hold on," I whispered in his ear.

He seemed to fight his eyelids from falling shut, keeping them focused on my face. This comforted me. His open wound and guts stained my blouse but I was far from caring. However, the thought of his thick, salty scarlet nectar was testing my sanity. Every breath I took contained the tantalizing scent of his blood, teasing my appetite.

I felt his warm head nestle itself in the nook my arm created against my chest, as if to comfort himself. I wondered if my cool body temperature helped aid his discomfort. I tried my best to keep my run smooth, cautious not to aggravate the pain of his wounds.

However, inside, I was completely torn. Internally, the monster—completely ardent with thirst, frenzied with bloodlust—fought the woman inside of me—desperate to save this frail human in my arms. I held onto my resolve, holding my breath in order to keep the burning thirst from enrapturing my throat further. It was an impossible feat, considering the sobs that threatened to explode from my chest.

For I had to take a breath for every sob that I couldn't contain, I would look at his grimacing face, and the dimples that deepened on his cheeks. Somehow, overwhelmed by their very sight, I found the willpower to hold onto the desire to keep him alive, and possibly take him to my own creator to be changed.

I had gone as long as two and a half years without so much as a drop of human blood to my tongue. I was determined to keep such a record, especially for the vulnerable, sweet man I held in my arms. I had to save him. He had to be with me, somehow.

I edged and slowed my pace as I neared the clearing that lead to our house. Upon arrival to our property line, an angry Edward abruptly greeted me on the lawn. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded. I watched his eyes look at the human, a flicker of wanton bloodlust crossing his face before focusing back onto me with angry eyes.

I let out a defensive hiss. "Get out of my way!" I exclaimed, trying desperately to pass him, but unfortunately Edward was gifted with speed, blocking me at every attempt.

"You cannot bring him into the house," he seethed through his teeth. "You can't do this Rose," he continued, swerving along with me like it was a basketball game, trying to block me from the hoop.

All I could do was try my best to evade him while I concentrated on not dropping the man in my arms.

I could see him visibly struggle through his own thirst as he tried to stop me, making a concerted effort to concentrate on my face rather than my bloody human. "What the hell are you thinking? Don't you think you're being selfish?"

I hissed again, for his interrogation was far from welcome. He growled back at me, his nose flaring, his jaw clenched. He bared his teeth to me, looking like he was ready to fight me.

I was distraught. I was prepared to fight him myself, yet I hadn't even made my decision fully on what I wanted, whether or not changing Emmett was the best option. All I knew in my mind was that I wanted Carlisle to help him. My heart, however, was leaning towards the change. "Edward, this isn't your business. Will you just shut your trap and get out of my way?"

"Rosalie! Edward!" I heard someone chastise from the house. Hearing us argue, Esme and Carlisle materialized between Edward and I.

"Children, please stop fighting," Esme pleaded before realizing that I had come home with an arms' load. She immediately held her hand to her mouth and nose, no doubt fighting her own thirst for the human's blood. "Rosalie… what…"

"Rose, what is this?" Carlisle demanded, cutting off his wife. He was less affected, working among many humans and blood daily at the hospital.

"She wants you to _change_ him," Edward sneered through his teeth as he ground them together, his jaw clenching.

"Carlisle, I—" I began but I couldn't find the words.

"Change him?" Carlisle questioned, looking back at Edward. He then turned back to me. "Rose, change him? Are you sure?"

"_Please_!" I cried. "You _have _to help him. I just can't let him die!" I couldn't hold myself together. Every word I spoke had a shaken desperation to it.

"Carlisle," Edward began, talking through is teeth, "You can't just let this happen. Look at the size of him. He'll be a lot to handle as an uncontrollable newborn." He turned back to me and continued. "Rose, you would risk endangering yourself? Endangering Esme? Carlisle and I will not be able to handle this on our own."

I glowered at him. "Edward, please stay out of this," I growled. I had about enough of him, and I was here a mere five minutes.

I switched my eyes back to Carlisle, my expression desperate. "Carlisle, in all of my time here, never have I once asked anything from you of this caliber. From any of you, I have not asked for much this much. I plead this understanding of you. This is the only thing." I looked around at all of them and then back at Carlisle and said, "I beg you now, please, Carlisle. Help this man!"

Behind Carlisle and Esme, Edward's tense expression changed to shock as he witnessed me in my moment of anguish, a side of me that even I never knew I had.

Carlisle quickly took the man from my arms and into the house, into one of the vacant rooms, lying him down on a table Esme used to draw and layout blueprints. The rest of us followed.

"He's injured pretty badly," he assessed after removing his pants and shirt, looking over his body. "His spleen has ruptured. All his internal organs have been torn beyond repair—beyond any chance of survival. What brought this on?"

"I found him in the woods in Tennessee, not too far from his camp site. A bear had mauled him," I explained in a trembled voice. I was in pieces.

"Was there anyone else camping with him? Did anyone see you?" he asked.

I thought back to the campsite, with only him lying there. Other than his torn body, it was completely deserted. "No," I breathed. "He seemed to be alone."

"Rosalie," he said grabbing my hand gently but firmly, and pulling me to the side. "Are you absolutely, positively sure about this? Do you want me to change him? For him to become a vampire?"

"_Yes_, Carlisle," I replied. "I have never been more positive—more sure—about anything in my whole life," I said with the utmost conviction. Though I wasn't sure what was in store for me, or for him, I suddenly knew in the strangest and most unfamiliar way that this was what I wanted. He needed to exist.

"You realize he may not follow us," Carlisle warned quickly. "He may want to go out on his own and be a nomad. It is not our choice. Are you willing to risk that?"

I paused. As his words sunk in, I felt uneasy. What if this man left and I never saw him again? It's not like we could stalk him and beg him to stay. Would he even want to stay with me? If I offered to go off with him, would he let me come along?

I was brought out of my jumbled thoughts and confusion when I heard the man moan in writhing pain again, his breath sporadic and shallow.

"Rose? Are you sure you want to take that risk?" Carlisle asked me, his topaz eyes serious as they locked with mine.

I looked back at my Henry, his face still wincing, and his breath barely there. I didn't know his name, so I gave him the first that came to mind. It seemed fitting for him, however. As I gazed upon him from the other corner of the room, I wondered in seconds how he was as a human, before the bear had reached him. What was his smile like? How did he laugh? Was it as infectious a little baby Henry's sweet, childlike giggle?

Thinking about sound, my ears tuned into my current surroundings. My heightened sense of hearing informed me that his heart rate was erratic and beating fainter by the second.

"No, Carlisle, I want this," I muttered. "We can make this work. I will make this work." Should he decide to go on his own, I thought, I would take that chance. "Please, father, we're running out of time." I didn't call him father often, my lack of acceptance of this life hindering me from feeling a complete familial love for everyone in this house. My resentment for being trapped in this life had previously kept me from surrendering to that feeling. However, I'd always known that I couldn't exist like this alone, thankful that out of all vampires to turn me, that it had been Carlisle Cullen to do it. At this instant, I knew that I belonged with this family—Carlisle and Esme as my parents, Edward as my brother… and hopefully, my Henry at my side.

Esme stepped forward to hold me. Edward stood in the doorway still tense, but not voicing any more objections. Carlisle nodded solemnly, taking in my assured answer.

I watched as Carlisle stood over the man on the table, my angelic boyish creature. "Son, what is your name?" Carlisle asked.

The young man struggled to focus for a few moments before uttering, "Eh-Em-mmett." His rich, deep voice was thick with pain, layered with a scratchy rasp of his struggle. His breath was so ragged it seemed he put all his strength in answering Carlisle.

My insides churned at the sound of his voice as I learned his name. _Emmett._

Carlisle took his hand and smiled to the best of his abilities, and replied, "Well Emmett, I'm Carlisle. I'm here to save you." He then leaned in slightly and whispered, "This will hurt more than what you're feeling now, but it will soon be over."

The man, still panting, nodded his head a fraction. There was no more he could do or say.

Carlisle turned the man's head so that it tipped away from him, exposing his neck. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Carlisle leaned in further and sunk his teeth into his external jugular vein, disseminating his venom into Emmett's system.

"Argh. ARRRRHGGGG!" Emmett screamed. His body convulsed. His groans were guttural. He was writhing in pain.

Quickly, Carlisle worked at the inner fold of every joint of the man's body, biting each area. He sealed each bite shut with a lick of his venomous saliva, effectively holding his venom into the boy's bloodstream.

When he finished, Carlisle stood up wincing as well at the taste of human blood, which I was pretty sure he was fighting every urge not to finish him off, but still succeeded. He walked slowly, stumbling until he held onto the dresser beside of the table, holding a fist up to his mouth and biting down as he let the frenzy pass over him. Esme flitted to his side, putting supportive hands on his shoulders.

I focused once again on my beautiful grown up Henry, my Emmett. I felt helpless as I watched his tortured suffering. "B-burning," he breathed, almost a whisper. "On f-fire, I'm …burning!" He thrashed and flinched.

I let out a sob. My thoughts brought me back to the days of change—the raw burning of my limbs, the imaginary flames spreading through my body like wildfire. Logically, I knew it was part of the process—part of the transition—yet my emotions for him held me to pity. It kept me to my own pain, sympathizing with this young man wincing and struggling on the table below me. I wailed once again, biting down on my tongue to keep cries from escaping so loudly.

Feeling a brush of wind behind me, I turned around to find Esme, who had flown downstairs to the kitchen and back, with a chair that she now placed next to the table.

"Sit with him, child," she said softly, which could barely be heard over the painful gasps and growls coming from him. "He will need someone there for him through all of this."

I hugged Esme, who I realized I now completely regarded as my mother, letting out a release of hiccup-like weeping. Her love was always a comfort, and her support was consistent and never lacking. Esme had the soul of a saint. It would take a heartless, cruel being not to take to her nurturing love—her maternal nature.

I turned around once again, to him, pulling the chair closer. I took a seat slowly.

Esme quickly returned at Carlisle's side, as he was getting a hold on himself. Edward also stood next to Carlisle, holding him up by his elbow.

I turned my attention back to Emmett.

"I—" I began uncertainly, looking at Emmett as he lay there flinching and groaning. I knew he was able to hear me, as I was able to hear Carlisle and Edward's conversation during my own transformation. I know that what I would say to him would matter to him in the long run, they way it mattered to me. I gulped a small amount of thick venom before I spoke again. "I'm Rosalie. I found you. I'm so sorry. I know that it hurts, but please, just bare it, just for now. It'll all be over soon, I promise."

I took his closest hand, pulling it out of his fist, placing my cold fingers into his grip. He held on to my hand tightly, still groaning. "I'm here for you," I whispered lovingly, trying to control my trembled sobs.

His eyes, squeezed shut from his painful grimacing, tears falling uncontrollably from them, for a fraction of a moment opened to look at me. His eyebrows arched upward and crinkled into a look in what seemed to me of awe and gratitude, before returning to his expression in pain.

"Sweetie, I'm here for you," I breathed to him, kissing his sweaty, clammy forehead. I had not felt this strange urge for contact with someone for a long time—not since I'd been changed. I never really offered a hug to any of my family, distancing myself in my struggle to accept this life. The movement of my lips pressing against his skin was a buried human gesture that suddenly came back to me like it was second nature.

I brushed his hair with my other hand, running my fingers through his short locks. "My Emmett," I breathed, tasting his name across my tongue for the first time. It felt good, and … _right_. It was like I was meant to say his name all my life. "I'm right here."

* * *

Author's Endnotes:

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**Got Twitter? Follow me for the latest updates to all of my fics! Twitter Name: achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight. You can find a direct link on my profile.


	5. Chapter 4: Changed

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated M for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

Original beta: LedyBug/beth

5/19/2010- Thank you LaRosada (Tiana), Idealistic4ever (Kelly) of Project Team Beta for proofing this chapter!New edits and extended chapter!

**Playlist:**  
Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man  
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

* * *

**Chapter 4: Changed**

* * *

I had sat with him for the past three days, holding his hand. I watched him flinch and convulse as the burning pain spread through the limbs of his body. At first, it was horrible. He would scream and cry for someone to kill him, and I'd keep a steady grip on his hand, but in time the screaming slowly began to lessen**.** I watched as his body morphed from the clammy, pliant flesh, so fragile and distressed as his human life was about to end, to the snowy white, cold armor of a vampire. I listened to the very steady speed of his heart strumming loudly as it changed.

I talked to him, hoping he would hear me. I hoped that he would listen. I told him what I was, what he would be come. I even proceeded to have one-way conversations with him as hours and days past.

"You will be strong, and fast, and you will live forever," I had whispered in his ear in the afternoon of day two. I was trying to paint a positive picture of what he was becoming, in hopes of encouraging him.

His eyes were still shut, his mouth slightly trembling. His uneven gasps and pained flinching remained, but his screams had gone down by that point. The sweat on his forehead was fading and drying, and I took a damp cloth to whip the salt of his dried tears on the sides of his face with my free hand.

"This life has its limitations, but in the same sense, the possibilities with what you can do are endless." I couldn't believe what was coming from my own mouth, but I instantly recognized my future laid out in front of me, in the man lying on the table. I knew I could see more to my forthcoming existence than I had these past couple of years.

I had placed the damp cloth on a table nearby and threaded my fingers through his hair in an effort to soothe him. "The pain won't last much longer; just one more day, really."

I had watched the rise and fall of his chest from shallow breathing. I prayed that he was listening, but he didn't respond.

I had continued anyway. "And then we—_you_, I mean, will be able to exist like us, and hunt like we do." I had smiled at the thought of him running with me in the forest, chasing after me. Laughter would ring through the trees when he'd catch me, his hands at my waist. Then, in an act of desire, he'd pull me in for a kiss, not bothering for the elk that we were in pursuit of.

In the far corner of the room, behind Esme and Carlisle, Edward had let out a cough, shifting in his chair as he read the morning paper. None of the family left us in the room for long in case something went wrong with the change.

I ignored Edward. "We can hunt together," I suggested, in a good spirited tone. "I can show you how." My voice was confident, despite the glances of concern I had earned from Edward and Carlisle at what I was telling the changing man. It was a risk, I knew, to speak that way—so positive that he would stay with me. It was a risk to be so sure, yet I had no reason not to believe it. I had been certain he'd stay with me, the way his hand never let go of mine, and I, his.

I informed him of who we were—as more than just a coven, but a family—and what we were about. Carlisle sat with me on occasion, filling in the gaps of the Cullen family story. As we explained we were vampires, we also explained our unique vegetarian lifestyle. We wanted to let him know this as early as possible, in hopes that he could prepare himself when he woke, maybe keeping him from going postal and killing a whole slew of humans. He explained that with this lifestyle, we were able to live together as a large coven, and with a love that bonded us like family.

I did not want to leave his side. Even when Esme insisted that maybe I change out of my clothes, I refused to physically leave him, and stayed by his side.

Staying true to tradition, Edward continually argued with Carlisle about my "dangerous and selfish" decision.

"Edward," Carlisle said. "She couldn't let him die. You heard her yourself. Maybe Rose has found her mate. Did you ever think of that? And look at what a great fit she has been in our family? If I thought the same way about her, about Esme, about you, I would never have you here with me. We would never be a family."

"She might think she found someone, but what about him? How are you sure he will stick around, much less return her feelings? How are we sure he's not going flip a switch and turn on us like other newborns do with each other?" He tried to say this calmly, but he was just the king of over-reactions, and tended to blow everything out of proportion.

I was irritated once again. I'd had enough of his mouth.

"You know what?" I asked, looking up at him, still holding Emmett's hand. "If I didn't know any better, Edward, I'd say you almost sound jealous."

"Jealous? Of him? You really are unbelievable. So self-centered. The world revolves around you, doesn't it? Unlike you, I care about the safety of this family. My last concern is where you throw your affection."

"Of course I care about the safety of this family. Don't talk about 'this family' like I'm not a part of it, and make assumptions about me. You don't know me at all."

"Really, Rose?" Edward scoffed. The truth was, his ability allowed him to know me well—maybe even better than I knew myself—yet I'd never admit to it. "If the tables were turned, and I brought home a human girl to change, would you not feel defensive as well? You wouldn't feel the least bit skeptical, and try to make things difficult?"

I laughed at the preposterous image his question painted in my mind. "You?" I mocked. "Bring home a human? Please! I'd love to see that happen**,** Edward," I challenged him.

He shook his head, his eyes tightening in speculation and challenge as he glowered back at me. "You're avoiding my question Rosalie."

"I would be fine with it," I answered immediately, through gritted teeth, my eyes ablaze with fury. I had no idea what I'd do if Edward brought home a stranger, to be honest. The idea of Edward finding anyone remotely interesting enough to want to change her was insane. He never found me appealing, so who else could he even fancy?

He gave me a smirk, reading my mind as thoughts I never meant for him passed. "You wouldn't be able to stand it, I bet."

I bared my teeth, his words, which I refused to acknowledge as truth, slowly eating away at my temper. I then wondered how I could have even considered a life with him just mere days ago. "You conceited little—"

He let out a loud chuckle, interjecting throwing his head back in shock. His laugh cut through my words, interrupting me, mid-insult. "_I'm_ the conceited one now?'

"Edward! Rosalie! Stop your bickering right this instant!" Esme demanded. "Edward, the decision was made and the change has already begun. We all understand your concern and are thankful, but you need to let it go." She turned to me, sighing, her lips pressed into a straight line. "For you, Rosalie, try not to provoke him so much. He's only being cautious and looking out for our best interests."

Edward turned on his heel after apologizing to Esme and retreated to his room. Esme's lecture managed to keep Edward quiet and away. I understood his concern, I really did. I just wasn't in the mood to hear it. What was the point in sulking in what should have happened, when now we faced what lied ahead of us?

It was on this third day that Esme came to me again, suggesting me to change. "I will sit with him. He should be waking soon. Go freshen up. Look pretty for him," she encouraged, gesturing to my soiled outfit.

I looked down and realized I was still dressed in the bloodstained blouse and skirt from the other day. "But what if he wakes?" I asked

"I will call you, dear," she replied, assuredly.

I was full of anticipation. I was a nervous wreck. I was terrified. I didn't know what the future held… but I knew that I had to do this. This was what I wanted. I wanted Emmett. My life was nothing until this moment. Whatever reason I had for existing in this world, had now made itself evident.

I flitted to my room, where the walls were a muted lilac, with drapes and matching furniture in brocade fabrics of different shades of plum. It was very feminine, luxurious, and rich. Like my taste in everything else, it was grand.

I dashed to open the chestnut doors of my large armoire. At vampire speed, I scanned the neatly kept shelves of shirts and organized blouses and skirts on hangers. I bordered on OCD, categorizing my apparel by type and then by color. _Something pretty_, I thought. Emmett was about to feast his vampire eyes on me for the first time. I was shaking so bad you would think I was going to collapse.

I settled on a satin, peach butterfly blouse I had purchased not too long ago from Sears. It was a wrap blouse, with a saddle yoke at the shoulders and butterfly, wing-like flowing elbow-length sleeves, thus the name. The tie of the blouse wrapped around the back and met at the front waist, accenting my curvy figure. I paired it with a tea length, beige, pencil skirt, and tan Salvatore Ferragamo platform, high-heeled, strappy sandals.

I pulled the top half my hair up frantically with abone ivory clip, bringing strands away from my face and letting them fall over my back. I wanted to show off my face, out still exhibit my hair's length. I quickly reapplied my makeup as I assessed myself in the mirror of my Victorian style vanity. My eyes were onyx black today. I never finished the hunt when I went out and found Emmett. I shook it off. As a final touch, I wore pearl earrings. My hands trembled as I quickly put them on.

"Listen to his heartbeat," Carlisle marveled from Emmett's room. "It's so strong. It's getting close."

I rushed back inside, with a brush of wind blowing across the room. There was a loud thrumming from Emmett. "Will he wake soon?"

"I anticipate so," Carlisle answered.

We sat staring at Emmett's body, listening to his loud heart beat erratically.

He was so massive, lying there on the table; his feet dangled two inches from the edge. As he changed, his body had mended itself, no longer torn at the torso. I had reclaimed my seat from Esme, taking his colossal hand into my own, now the same temperature as mine. His fingers curled around mine reflexively, and it warmed my frozen heart.

His heart, still strong and loud, began to slow down. I felt my nerves again. If I were human, I'd be sweating bullets. What has gotten over me? I had never been this apprehensive before. I was always usually so headstrong and composed. Now I was like gelatin.

Carlisle tugged on my arm without saying a word, motioning me to step back.

Reluctantly, I got up to join him and Esme—I knew they wanted me to step back as a precaution. As I made my way to my adoptive parents, Edward suddenly appeared in the room beside us.

The strong thudding of his heart slowed down to the very last beat… and then… silence.

It was ironically the loudest silence I had ever witnessed, anticipation and anxiety growing in my gut. Thoughts danced into my head. Would he awaken, take one look at me, and fall madly in love, even if his thoughts were too consumed with thirst?

We saw his eyes flutter before they opened slowly. He took his first breath, still on his back. A low hiss came from his throat.

With one swift movement, he threw all of his weight into his bottom half, moving upward and down. He landed with his feet on the tile floor, the rest of his upper body following—a move I'd only seen a black belt karate master does. He snarled as he took another deep breath, probably feeling the burn of thirst in his throat for the first time.

Less than half a second later, he did a backwards somersault and landed with his feet on the table, slightly leaving indentations in its surface. His bright, ruby eyes surveyed the whole room. His face was in a menacing scowl. His large muscular body took a defensive position as he glanced at everyone.

Edward and Carlisle had taken protective stances in front of Esme and me. She held my hand for support.

My eyes took him in from head to toe for the first time. He was even more beautiful now. His alabaster skin was radiant, and the sunlight through the window hit areas of his skin, causing rainbows of light to dance around him. The angles of his decidedly masculine face were further enhanced, with flaming blood red eyes, a nose that wasn't dominating, yet still manly, and thick lips that pouted just right. His bone structure was godlike, with very chiseled high cheekbones, and a strong, distinctly virile square jaw-line. His Herculean body was taller than anyone in my family. His shirt was open in front, exposing his musculature. I had never seen pectorals and abdominal muscles so well defined. He was like a powerhouse of the male vampire kind.

I gulped. My body reacted strangely to his sight. _Could a vampire's temperature rise?_ It was nothing I had ever experienced before. I felt a strange slight inkling of moisture between my thighs. It was too light for anyone to detect in scent, but I knew it was there, and I bit my lip hoping it wouldn't increase. I had to fight back against my arousal.

A large growl erupted from Emmett as Carlisle stepped forward, Edward following him.

"Emmett, son," Carlisle called over to him, waving a surrendering hand. "I'm Carlisle. This is my family: Edward, Esme, and Rosalie."

He blinked his fiery, ruby red eyes as they followed Carlisle's gesture to each of us. They rested on me. His brows lifted slightly as a flash of what looked like recognition hit his face.

I grinned back at him, hoping to get him to calm down. Hoping to get him to see me, and look at me the way every man does. Surely he'd have to find me attractive, especially since the enhanced vision would only sharpen my features for him. To my detriment, however, he quickly averted his eyes from me, my ego faltering. His eyes narrowed and surveyed the room again.

"He's confused," Edward explained to us over his shoulder, reading his mind. "Yes, you are now a vampire," he confirmed, turning back toward Emmett. "And we are vampires as well. We do not want to harm you." He took a step towards the newborn slowly. "Rosalie found you, and Carlisle turned you."

Emmett groaned in response. He then snorted, his expression turning befuddled and shocked at Edward.

"A vampire?" asked, finally speaking, his face disbelieving and confused. His voice was like loud sonic boom—powerful and masculine. His eyes grew wide as he heard his voice for the first time, startled at the new sound. He cleared his throat in response.

"Yes," Carlisle confirmed, as Emmett rubbed his throat, still amazed at his voice. "You are now one of us."

"We're here to help you, remember?" Edward reminded him.

Emmett's face turned dubious, taking a step back. "How can I be so sure?" Emmett asked.

"Rosalie and Carlisle, they told you our story," Edward continued. "I know you remember."

"How are you reading my mind?" Emmett growled, his nose flaring. He seemed a bit annoyed with Edward, who was only trying to calm him down.

Edward recoiled, taking a step back. "It's an enhanced ability," he said slowly.

Emmett took two steps back as Carlisle made a step toward him. A grizzly snarl began to rise from his chest.

"Be careful, Carlisle," Edward warned softly.

Carlisle held his hand up to Edward as if to hush him, before turning to Emmett. "Son, I know you're concerned. We're not here to harm you. We're here to help you."

Emmett took a defensive stance, backtracking and crouching.

Carlisle moved his hands slowly in front of himself, palms forward toward Emmett. "Won't you listen to what we have to say? If you'd like us to explain this to you again, I'd be glad to."

His flaming red eyes flickered across all of our faces as his nostrils flared, his mouth scrunched. His posture was alert, in a crouching attack position.

"There's no need to be alarmed, son. We're not here to fight you. I promise," he continued, in a mild tone. He pointed to himself. "Again, I'm Carlisle. This is my family. I turned you in the hopes that you'd join us. Please, give us a moment to explain what we are and what we stand for."

Slowly his body straightened up, standing at ease. His face relaxed, and but he said nothing.

"Thank you, Emmett. I'll take this opportunity to help you meet my family. Once again, you've met Edward, my adopted son. That over there is my wife, Esme, and my daughter, Rosalie," Carlisle introduced, his hand pointing in our direction.

I watched as Emmett's eyes switched to Esme and then to me as they followed Carlisle's gesture. I could've sworn I noted a spark of recognition once again across his features as his gaze laid fixed upon me for a moment, before Carlisle's words distracted him again.

"We are all vampires who live here in this house in peace. Though it is in our nature to feed on humans, we have strived on being as ethical as we can, and not prey on innocent life. Our family is different from others of our kind in that we feed on the blood of animals."

Emmett dropped his chin to look to the floor, his fists clenching. I presumed at the mention of blood and humans—it would affect him. He grimaced in pain.

"Your throat burns because you need to feed," Edward answered, automatically.

Emmett's lips pulled back behind his teeth as a hiss escaped from him. "Wow, you're really annoying," he snarled at Edward, his fiery irises shooting daggers at my brother.

"Emmett, son," Carlisle chimed in, trying to distract the moody youngster. "Maybe you would like to go hunting? The thirst is probably getting the best of you."

At the mention of such, Emmett grew rigid, cupping his throat with one large hand of his as he gulped. Realizing Carlisle might be right, he nodded in agreement.

They all decided to hunt as a family. Edward and Carlisle were not comfortable with me hunting with Emmett by myself. Reluctantly, I obliged, disappointed that I couldn't bring him out for his first hunt myself.

Emmett followed Edward who led the way, providing examples for vampire travel for Emmett to use as a guide, zipping past trees, and taking giant leaps over rivers and streams. Carlisle, Esme and I trailed behind them. We dashed west, close to the Kentucky state line.

We slowed down reaching a spot, knowing there was wildlife nearby.

"Emmett, now concentrate," Edward guided him. "What do you hear?"

Emmett's eyes ran back and forth as he listened for three fourths of a second, analyzing the sounds around us. A grunt rose from his chest. "Heartbeats, six of them," he breathed. "And chewing…on…grass or something. Just South of those trees. What are they?"

The breeze blew in their scent. I saw his nose flare, catching it, and then wrinkle in response. He looked at Edward questioningly.

I giggled behind Carlisle and Esme, realizing the scent of herbivores must not be so appealing to him.

Emmett shot me an evil glare, and I quieted down immediately. It wasn't the warm welcome that I had expected, and I was miffed by his reaction to me. _What was his problem?_

"Bison," Edward answered, trying to get Emmett's attention away from me.

Emmett turned to him and I instantly recognized an internal conversation between them.

"You've got the right idea, but I'll show you quickly just to make sure," Edward encouraged. "You can follow behind."

We sprinted to follow Edward, already snaking his way out to the meadow where the herd of bison fed, Emmett following close behind him. However, as fast as Edward was, he still couldn't catch up.

Edward took a quick leap into the air, diving straight onto a bison too quickly for it to react, simply falling to straddle it, and snap its neck within seconds. He sunk his teeth into the animal's back as he did so before beginning to slurp it's blood.

Without hesitation, Emmett, who studied Edward intently moments before, launched himself in the air just as Edward had. It took him one eighth of a second to take down all six of the large animals. We all sat, stunned. Leaving four on the ground, Emmett claimed two and sunk his teeth into them, sucking and savoring to the last drop.

"How is it?" Carlisle asked, curious of Emmett's thoughts.

Emmett winced slightly. "Like eating a garden salad." The distaste in his voice told me he must've been a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I liked that.

We all laughed lightly in response, but not too much, careful not to elicit any temper tantrums from the youngest vampire.

"It takes some getting used to, I suppose. Carnivores are a little better tasting, as they're closer to what we're meant to feed on." I had noticed Carlisle's careful choice of words as he softly explained this to him, omitting the mention of the word "human".

Reluctantly, Emmett grabbed the other and began to drink that as well. We watched him grab a third, knowing he would probably want to stuff himself silly from all this newborn thirst. He even went for a fourth.

I smiled, impressed as I watched him. He had quite an appetite, but I supposed with his size, his need for nutrition was proportional. Bison were large creatures, able to sustain us for long periods. To consume four was quite a feat.

He offered the last two to us as if they were a gift. Esme and Carlisle shared the first, and they left me the other They knew it'd been a while since my last hunt. I drained it slowly, watching Emmett from the corner of my eye the whole time.

We prepared to leave. I was overcome by how successful this first hunt was. I was going to get my Emmett after all. Of course, he hadn't really noticed me, and I was slightly bothered that I hadn't fazed him at all. However, I knew, as a newborn, human emotions and desires took second to a vampire's thirst for blood.

I just had to be patient…but just how patient could I be?

My mind was suddenly full of doubt, but as I watched Emmett help my father and brother dispose ofthe carcasses thoroughly with his defined biceps, I made it an internal goal to be patient. _He would be worth the wait._

We started our sprint back home, but we all froze as Edward, the fastest of us all, slowed down.

Suddenly Edward stopped dead in his tracks and spun around. "_Fuck_…Damn it all to hell," he exclaimed, exasperated.

"Hey, watch your mouth, young man," Esme reprimand him.

"I'm sorry. It's just… argh… I should have been more careful. I forgot to survey the land!" His face was tense, his hands in fists, tension rolling through him.

I watched him, perplexed. What could make him want to beat himself up about now? He made no sense, and judging everyone else's expression, the opinion was unanimous.

Suddenly, an insanely delicious scent came swooshing around in from the east, and we all realized what Edward was cursing over.

Just over the hill of trees, we could hear footsteps.

In horror, we all turned to Emmett, his eyes already growing wild with thirst...

_Humans._

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Author's Endnotes

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**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

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	6. Chapter 5: Predator

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

6/2/2010: Proofed by PTB Members LaRosada and Jessica

Playlist:

Slayer - Raining Blood

The Police - Every Breath You Take

Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark - If You Leave

* * *

**Chapter 5: Predator **

It took one-sixth of a second for Emmett to be on the move in pursuit of the poor, unsuspecting people. Like lightening, he charged into the trees and over the hill.

Edward was still mumbling unintelligible things, probably blaming himself, as we pursued Emmett in his chase. He must have heard their thoughts nearby, enabling him to detect the men seconds sooner than the rest of us.

Emmett ran and leapt onto trees in silence. Hunting was so natural to him already, just on his first day as one of us. I couldn't help but admire how quickly he picked it up. It was like he was born to do it and have fun with it. His tree leaping resembled that of a monkey, and his hunting and predator styles ironically resembled that of a bear.

Edward, the quickest of us all, managed to stop Emmett dead in his tracks. He stood in front of him, hands pushing on Emmett's chest. "Don't do this," he pleaded.

"Edward please be careful," Esme called, but she was too late.

Emmett flicked his elbow towards Edward to get him out of the way. His unmarked strength caused his large arm to fling Edward fifty feet into the air and ten feet away only continuing to pursue the humans. Edward landed with a crash, pulverizing an ancient tree and causing a dent in the earth, bending his leg in an unnatural way.

Esme ran to Edward's side to help as Carlisle and I stayed focused on Emmett.

Carlisle, trying to keep a safe distance from Emmett, caught up to Emmett's side and tried persuade him not to hunt them, tried reason with the vampire youth, but to no avail. Unfortunately, his distance wasn't far enough, and Emmett was able to push him out of his way, causing Carlisle to fall flat on his backside.

We could not stop him. The two hikers didn't stand a chance against Emmett.

_We _didn't stand a chance against _him_.

He was swift and efficient, propelling himself in their direction with his powerful legs. It was almost effortless. He lurched at them with precision, a cunning nature to his hunting tactic. The way he took each of them by their head and shoulders with his hands, breaking both their necks in the matter of just seconds—it was horrifying for even a vampire to watch.

Luckily for the first hiker, it was over so quickly for him, too fast for him to even feel an ounce of suffering or pain. The second hiker had just a bit less luck, being able to register what was happening in the two seconds his partner had died. Only right before he could consider running for his life, Emmett already had his large arms on the man's head and shoulder. The sickening snaps the last man's neck made instantly killed him, and I was sure he did not suffer much like his friend hadn't. Emmett was just way too sneaky, too quick for humans to see it coming or even feel him come at them. It did not hinder the brutality of it, though.

He seemed to possess the combined strength of fifty vampires. We knew as a newborn he'd be strong, but his size and build seemed to lend a hand in his extraordinary amount of strength. Maybe he didn't have a quantifiable unique ability like Edward, but it was evident his strength was something special that outweighed that of others. An enhanced quality, I was sure of it.

All of us stood there helpless as Emmett bit into the jugular vein in their necks and greedily sucked their bodies dry of blood. His crimson eyes rolled back into his head in pleasure as he did so.

In that brief moment that their skin broke, my throat was enflamed by my own thirst. I was sure the whole family had felt it, but it was short lived. He was too fast to drink them to even break us into a completely ravaged state by the scent of their palatable scarlet nectar. All of the blood was gone in seven and a half seconds.

Dropping the last cold body to the ground, he wiped his mouth still dripping with the man's blood. He licked the remains off his hand, moaning at the taste, before looking up at all of us incredulously. "That was so fucking… _good_," he growled lustfully.

We just stared at him in shock. _This can't be good. God, this can't be good._

"I'm supposed to give this up?" he groaned, gesturing towards the mangled corpses, stalking angrily towards us. "Isn't this what we're meant to do?"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Emmett," Carlisle said, as we all took cautious steps back.

He grimaced. "You deny everything we are as vampires," Emmett curtly justified.

Carlisle sighed, hopelessness in his body language. "It is possible for a vampire to live peacefully among humans. If you feed on animals we are more likely to establish a bond with each other based on love. We are able to live amongst people and our kind in peace."

Emmett huffed. "I don't think I can stay," he snorted. "If hunting humans is what we're built for, why deny it? Why follow you?"

"It's a state of mind, Emmett. They are human beings, with families and homes. You were once one just a few days ago. All of us were. We keep that in mind, and when we draw from that concept, we can have regard for human life."

He gave us a look of disbelief, like he thought we were all absurd. My dead heart was beginning to break in half, a fracture beginning to form down the middle.

"Will you stay with us? Stay to try, at least? If you cannot stand it, we won't make you stay any longer than you want to. You may go when you wish. Our home is open to you." Carlisle insisted, but his eyes looked hopeless. He knew he was nowhere close to having a chance in hell of convincing Emmett of anything at this point.

My stomach fell. Emmett just had the best vampire meal in the world. Why should he give it up?

"What is your choice, son?"

Edward had caught up with us by then, limping on his left leg. His vampire flesh and bones were already mending itself together.

I looked at Emmett's face, a mixture of confusion and frustration, and most of all, doubt. I tried to reason with myself. It was _his _choice. I couldn't make him stay, even if I wanted to. My mind new this.

But then my heart thought different. I saw it in his face as it grew to change into a conclusion. I saw it in his eyes… his reluctance to stay… and my insides broke into a million pieces.

_God please, no._

He finally looked up to meet Carlisle's gaze. "I will _not_ go with you," he said, satisfied with his decision. He turned on his heel and walked towards the east.

"No," I said, a sob erupting from my gut. "He can't just leave like this. Will someone please do something? Say something?" I looked around at my family and they all looked helplessly at each other. "_Anything?"_ I turned to Carlisle in my desperation. "Carlisle? Someone, please!"

Carlisle turned to me, touching me gently on my arm. "Rosalie, it's his choice. It's not ours to make for him."

"No, Carlisle, no," I exclaimed, shaking. I couldn't let this happen.

"We can't make him stay, sweetheart," Esme muttered softly.

"No!" I yelled and ran after him. I couldn't let him go, at least not without me. I was bound to him.

"No, Rose!"

"Don't!"

"Come back!"

I heard all of them call after me. I wasn't even sure who had said what. I was just desperate to get to Emmett. I pushed my feet into the forest floor to get me to him faster. He was all that mattered to me.

As I caught up to him, I tried desperately to tug at his arm, pulling him back to our direction. "Stay with me,_ please_, I begged. "I'll go with you if I have to."

He let out a booming growl at me, sneering like a crazed animal—like I was his mortal enemy.

Then it happened.

With preternatural speed he grabbed hold of me by the neck, his grip crushing and painful. I was blindsided by this whole action. Before I knew it I was choking as my vampire body involuntarily gasped for air in a moment filled with shock and adrenalin., and venomous tears accumulated in my eyes. In the past two years of living amongst humans, my body had acclimated itself to breathing to fit in seamlessly. Though oxygen was not a necessity to life for a vampire, we relied heavily on our sense of smell, thus naturally preferring to breathe. My hands clutched his arm, my nails digging into his flesh. I tried desperately to pry his hand away from me, eager to escape the agonizing feeling it inflicted upon my being at that moment.

"Oh, my God," I heard Esme gasp, crying in the distance.

"Emmett, drop her, please," Edward said slowly, suddenly materializing as he caught up with us, his partially healed leg only hindering his speed by seconds.

I nearly choked on my own venom as I drew in a deep gulp of air, needing the raw burn in my throat to further remind me that he was still a newborn. Regardless of my overwhelming attraction to him, he had not achieved the kind of control he needed to not hurt me.

Emmett held still, his eyes on me. His growls and hisses still continued.

Millions of thoughts processed as all of this happened. My feet dangled eight inches from the ground. His grip tightened around my neck. I choked on another unnecessary breath once again, feeling the painful burn that was as strong as the deepest thirst. He may be the man I wanted, but I couldn't allow myself to ever forget that men—no matter how attractive or charming—could be dangerous. I started to gag and cough, hoping maybe he could see my agony. I tried to scream but all that came out was a raspy broken gasp. His clenched fingers had restricted my airways, and I could not speak.

"Emmett," Carlisle called, approaching with caution. "Let go of Rosalie. You're hurting her."

I grew dizzy and faint from my discomfort, and for my body—though it didn't need oxygen to survive— I inhaled desperately for air in hopes to relieve such a dull pain of my neck beginning to tear in half. I thought that somehow it could possibly aide in repairing the ripping and burning he was causing. I could barely hold my strength or my consciousness from the pain of his hand's clasp. I anticipated that my coughing and gasps for air would also assist in penetrating the irrational mind of a newborn, and make him aware of my suffering.

"Emmett, please," Esme begged. I could hear her breath hitching into light sobs, her hands over her mouth, but my hearing was becoming muffled. "Don't do this."

Raging anger still blew from his nostrils, his eyes growing darker.

How irresponsible for me to have such a lapse in judgment. Wasn't it my short-sighted attraction to a man that caused me to lose my human life? Another deep and charring breath steeled my resolve. I would not let this happen to me again. My eyesight was growing dimmer, and I kept coughing and gagging, the pain of my throat being crushed by the very hand that I held for the last three days. I continued trying to pry his hand from me.

I felt my flesh crush as his hand enclosed deeper still, and I knew if he chose to shake me just a bit, my neck would snap in half. I could hear my iron flesh screech as his fingers dug into my skin further. _Was this the end of me? _The irony was baffling. I was about to die by the hand of the man who I had so foolishly chosen as my mate.

Esme's cries grew louder.

He flinched, his eyes flickering back and forth between me and rest of the family.

Slowly, his menacing eyes grew calmer, and his furrowed angry brows turned downwards. His ferocious expression smoothed out into a look of anxiety and confusion.

Carlisle took a step closer. "Emmett, please let her go."

"Yes, that is her," Edward spoke abruptly, his statement completely out of place. It caused Carlisle to shoot him a questioning look as Edward took a very deliberate step towards Emmett. "That's _her_."

Emmett's eyes switched to Edward and back, his confidence and ferocious determination wavering.

"She is the same woman that carried you home,now you're hurting her," Edward said slowly. "She was only trying to help you."

I realized then that he was reading Emmett's mind, helping through what seemed like some internal struggle. An internal struggle that involved _me_.

"Please, don't hurt Rosalie." My eyes turned to Edward, and in his eyes I saw a loyal, loving brother. He was begging for my safety, and I knew that, no matter how much he annoyed me, I would always love him as family.

Emmett's grip began to tremble, catching my attention again. His whole body began to quiver, as it seemed that doubt was rolling through him.

"She is the one that held your hand," Edward continued, guiding his decision.

Emmett's eyes faltered, flickering back between us.

"That's her." Edward seemed to be confirming whatever ran through Emmett's mind. "She never left your side. She was there for you when you needed someone, when you were changing."

The trembling continued, but Emmett's rigid stance didn't alter, but only a slight tightening in his eyes. I caught a shadow cross his face of the human I saw who gazed at me, so enchanted when I found him.

"Please, Emmett, " Edward begged, his voice strained, yet soft. "Don't do this. You don't want to. I know you don't."

He let out a shaky sigh and slowly loosened his grip, lowering his hand so that my feet touched the ground softly. My family let out sighs of relief.

Though the soles of my feet touched the floor, the struggle caused me to lose my supernatural grace. My knees gave, and I fell to the floor. I let out a gasp for air in hopes that it would help the healing process, and held my hand to my neck, my chest heaving from the tender and ultimately painful lacerations his hand caused on my throat.

I was weakened, but every muscle in my body was was fuming. Instinctively, my body wanted to fight back. It was a natural defense reaction as a vampire. I was ready to growl and hiss at him, and once my body had mended, stand on two feet to attack him. I stared at the ground for a moment to regain myself, an innate ember of rage building within me. I then looked up, facing his direction, my body trembling with fury, ready to raise hell.

But then, my eyes reached him, and there was no hell to raise. As I witnessed the repentant expression on his face at that moment, my mind forgave him immediately. The ember of rage within me blew out, my fury dissipating in the breeze that blew out such an ember. My body let go of its defenses, and all that was left was a feeling of a heart shattering in my chest.

I had never been around newborns before. This was my first experience with a young vampire, and though I heard about their irrational behavior, I had never witnessed it myself. But he was not just your average newborn either. This was the man that I saw as my potential mate.

He shook his head in shame, not wanting to look up, chagrin tattooing his body and face.

"Emmett?" I called to him, hoping he'd look at me. My voice was raspy and torn. I was too weak to get up on my feet, still partially lying on my side, my torso lifted up as I leaned on my elbow.

"Good God," I heard him breathe. He had finally let his gaze upon me, lying on the ground with my neck and the crudely torn indentations of his hands that formed around it. I was still trying to breathe properly in aching discomfort, hoping that air would help to hasten the repair of my neck.

He let out another sighand, without any words, turned the opposite direction, and fled into the thick woods towards West Virginia.

"Son, please wait," Carlisle beseeched, but to no avail.

"Emmett, please," I tried to call out louder, but my voice couldn't find me. "Don't go!" I knew he heard me, but he kept his pace, without a glance back in our direction.

His form was getting smaller and smaller, and at a certain point, through the thick of the forest, I couldn't see him anymore.

I exploded with sobs, my hands clutching my blouse. "No," I breathed. "Come back! Come back!" I could barely wheeze, my voice just a scratchy breath. "Don't leave me."

My whole world was caving around me. My future was gone. My everything was walking away from me.

My eyes grew blurry in a fog of haze in all my disorientation, but my stomach was shot with a large pang of loneliness and anguish.

He left me. Emmett left me.

"_No!"_

Esme knelt by my side to hold me. Edward and Carlisle were already trying to help me up on my feet. I felt numb. I couldn't even stand.

I felt arms around me, cradling me. I knew the arms belonged to members of my family, but I had no cognition of which arm belonging to whom.

He was gone.

I surrendered to those arms, exhausted, and completely…defeated.

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Author's Endnotes:

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Got Twitter? Follow me! achelle131


	7. Chapter 6: Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight.

Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

Special thanks to KariAnn for agreeing to beta for this chapter! You are way too awesome! Your great insight, careful eyes, and valued suggestions are always hugely appreciated! You rock!

Newly Edited: June 3, 2010

**Playlist:**

Eva Cassidy - Time After Time

Mozart - Moonlight Sonata

Alicia Keys - Moonlight Sonata/L'interludio

Janet Jackson - Come Back to Me

John Lennon - Jealous Guy

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**Chapter 6: Lost**

Emptiness.

A bottomless pit of nothing.

I stood and waited by the window, frozen like a statue for days. I didn't move. I didn't think to hunt. I didn't attend school.

I looked for a sign—anything—to show his return; that he would come back to me.

I slipped into this state right after Carlisle and Edward got back from seeing him, my Henry, my Emmett. It was the day we got back. They put me down in the living room for me to rest as my body repaired itself. Esme was out meeting with a design client. As I lay on the couch I could hear Carlisle and Edward having a conversation upstairs.

"Do you think he'll be back?" Carlisle asked. "Was there any evidence in his mind that he would?"

"It's hard to say. He's so confused. His mind was too lust-ridden for blood to think rationally."

"How about with Rosalie; was there anything there? Anything that will lead us to believe he'll be back, for her at least?"

Edward took a deep breath. "He definitely recognized her when he first woke up, from when she saved him from being mauled. He turned against her because he thought she was a threat, but something inside him clicked as he looked at her suffering from his grip…"

At this point I was sitting up, straining to hear their conversation. I was never too sure what Edward would share with me of Emmett's thoughts if I asked him directly. I knew this could be my only shot at knowing anything.

"So there_ is_ something between them."

"I don't know, Carlisle. He definitely regrets what he did after he realized he hurt her, but that was about all I heard. His mind was just mostly full of doubt that he could meet our way of living. He considered it for a moment, but there was no contest. Tasting those humans was the end of him. His personality is just a small part of his mind. He's too consumed with thirst for anything."

"I see," Carlisle said softly. He sounded to be in deep thought. "Thirst for humans."

"Yes! Carlisle, I think its best we go after him, maybe just talk to him, even if we can't bring him back. Teach him to be discreet, tell him about our laws. The last thing we need is a visit from the Volturi because of an unruly newborn. We'll need to hurry, before he goes and slays a whole town of folks."

"You have a point there, son," Carlisle agreed. I heard him pat Edward in the back.

_I'll go with you_, I thought loudly, hoping Edward would hear me from one level below.

"No, you can't," he answered from where he was, his voice firm yet gentle. "I can't let you."

"What is it?" Carlisle asked him.

"It's Rose," Edward sighed. "She wants to come with us."

Carlisle then appeared in front of me, traveling in vampire speed down the stairs. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Rose. We can't let you go. Not after what just happened." His hand touched my face, sympathy lacing his golden eyes.

"But I can talk to him. Edward said so himself, he recognizes me, and I can—"

"Yet he still did what he did," Edward interrupted, suddenly appearing by Carlisle. I was expecting him to have a smug face after today's incident, proving his theory right about Emmett, but he was surprisingly goodhearted about the whole situation. Even this warning of his was gentle enough that it caught me by surprise.

Carlisle sat on the couch next to me while Edward perched himself on the armrest above my head. "Rosalie, we can't afford you getting hurt again. Please stay home, and let us take care of this. We hope to bring him home, but at the very least, to help him make the right choices. If he is to become a nomad, we have to make sure of his safety. We can't let his ignorance be the death of him with the Volturi around."

I winced at the mention of the Voturi, the vampire coven in Volterra, Italy that was like royalty. They consisted of three ruling vampires, two wives and their talented guard, all possessing special unique abilities much like Edward's mind reading. They were however collected and specifically designed to wipe out armies of our kind at a time. They laid down the law, the most prominent of which was _protect the secret. _They didn't hesitate to kill any vampire who didn't conform to their laws, and ignorance was no excuse. I could not let Emmett be ruled by them and lose him in the process. He had to exist in this world, even if we were not together.

I watched after them in the window. I took a deep breath when I couldn't see them anymore, my lids slowly shutting over my eyes as I fought the urge to run after them and follow their trail to him. I opened my eyes again, unmoving, awaiting like a statue with eagerness.

They returned a half a day later, and I was eager to see them, hoping with all my heart that he would be with them, but to no avail. They came back empty handed, but they found him and were at least able to convey their concern and relay vampire law and the background story of the Volturi.

"Anything else?" I asked, looking at Edward with hopeless desperation.

He returned my look with a chagrined expression of his own. "Not really. I saw that he regrets deeply that he turned on you, which seems to be a new thing for him. I guess he never does anything that will make him look back, but nothing apart from that, no."

I sighed, once again defeated.

Edward placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, guiding me back into the house. I was thankful that he was being understanding and not his normal irritating self. I was in no mood for him to gloat about being right.

I couldn't bring myself to accept the loss. There had to be something—anything here—that he would want to come back for, even if it wasn't me. _But, God, how I wish it was me._

I could do no more but wait beside the window… wait for an uncertainty that may never come.

I stood for days, praying desperately for his return.

Each of my parents tried to talk to me; to console me. Even Edward tried to give me a few comforting words, but as he could read my mind, he knew not to push me.

My hands were placed on the windowsill for so long I felt like I probably couldn't lift it as my skin might have welded itself into the paint. Finally giving up on the fifth day of being perched here unmoving, I stepped away.

In a zombie like state, I walked through the house, slower than a human's pace. I walked over to the west side of the living room where the baby grand piano sat. Music might help or it might not. I felt Esme look up from the kitchen. I wasn't sure what she was doing in there. My mind wasn't registering much.

For a few moments, I sat at the piano, dazed. Lazily, I lifted up the lid, my fingers absentmindedly running over the keys as I began to softly play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I wasn't sure why I chose that song, but it seemed to fit my mood. I felt I could entertain myself by wallowing in self-pity.

_Could an already dead heart break?_

I drew out the tempo even slower into the song, savoring every melodic, somber tone.

It was absurd. I never even knew him. He was dying when I found him, and for the first three days he lay changing into one of us—niether of which states even held any chance for me to get to know him. How could I think he was the one? How could I believe all would work out so perfectly and he would stay and be mine? He was nobody. How could I be so hot and bothered by him?

_I was Rosalie Hale, and I could get whoever I wanted_, I tried to lie to myself. _Why am I wasting my time mulling over him? _

I wanted to be angry enough to want to forget him and maybe succeed in it. Unfortunately, the memory of his face when I found him clouded the rest of my thoughts. That sweet, innocent face with those endearing dimples and his eyes that lay pleading for help as I carried him home—it was all an image I could not escape. In fact, I was drowning in visions of him. I tried my best to push it aside and focus on being my bitter, spoiled self.

Yet I still couldn't put one foot in front of the other to accept that he left me. He was my grown-up Henry, my Emmett. Nothing could prepare me for it, no matter how I reasoned with myself. I had spent so little time during his change preparing for such a travesty. How could I so easily and freely give my whole being and bind myself to a man I had only come in contact with not even a week ago?

I felt Esme's concerned gaze on me from the kitchen where I now realized she scanned paint swatches for her next design project. I looked up at her and tried my best to give her an assuring grin as I played.

My song came to an end, and I looked above to the reflection in the shiny, black enamel of the piano. A woman with disheveled, wavy blonde hair, devastated eyes as black as coal, sockets a deep purple, and pale lips turned down at the corners stared back at me. Who was this girl? I did not recognize myself anymore, nor did I care. For the first time in my life, my beauty was not enough to get me what I wanted. For the first time, I had lost regardless of the way I looked.

_I could never look at myself the same again._

For the next three days I reluctantly got up to force myself into going to school. It was tough to concentrate, and I ended up just lugging myself through each class. Edward sat next to me at lunch on day three as we picked at our "food," trying to make it look like we were eating. I was back to play my human façade. We sat in silence as I tore the putrid smelling ham and cheese on white with my fingers.

Something came to mind, and I ended up speaking first. "What made you so understanding these days? How did you come to be so supportive of him, and be so nice to me? It's very…unlike you."

He chuckled a bit. "Maybe so." He played with a Coke bottle in his hands, his eyes on the table.

I sighed, Emmett's face popping to my head for the millionth time that day. There was just no escaping his memory.

Edward looked up at me, breaking me out of my trance, his face serious. "I was wrong, Rose. I jumped to conclusions too quick. He seems like a good guy inside. I saw it as I read his mind. You chose well, Rosalie."

A shimmer of light shined upon his words, and my eyes brightened slightly. _I chose well._

Edward read my thoughts and expression, deciding to continue. He spun the cap of the bottle with a long, slender finger on the table. "But he's full of doubt that he can do what we do. He's far too blood-crazed right now to even reason with him. And Rose, even though he's a good person, he is still dangerous for you to be around. The timing is not right. He could easily hurt you again, and maybe kill you next time..."

I sighed once again and returned back to tearing up the sandwich, the thought of Emmett showing at our door pouring into my head.

"No, I have no idea when he will return, if he ever decides to, that is," he muttered, answering my silent question. "And I can only read minds and thoughts, not hearts and feelings, so…"

"I get it, you don't know anything more," I mumbled.

He gave me a light pat on my back. So maybe we wouldn't be best friends, but once in a blue moon Edward can be a good supportive brother that I needed in this lonely life.

A thought suddenly occurred to me as we spoke. "You left Carlisle's family for a while, didn't you?" I knew of this, having heard briefly that he had chosen to live his own lifestyle for some time away from the Cullens—a life away from our rules of valuing human life.

He sighed and nodded, his topaz eyes focusing on a tree behind my shoulder. "Been back four years."

"How long were you gone for again?"

"About ten years," he answered quietly.

I sighed. _Ten years?_ Would I have to wait that long for Emmett to return?

I watched Edward peel an orange, looking down to hide his expression. I knew he had no answers for this particular silent question. I knew that in his time away to find his own path, he had killed those who didn't deserve to live: murderers, rapists, etc. He had killed many. He hunted human monsters worse than us. Carlisle and Esme let him go, and because they loved him, they did not pursue him. They let him come back on his own, with complete faith that he'd come home someday. They were patient with him.

Could I be that patient?

Could I have that faith that he'd come back?

Edward's eyes flickered to me and back to the orange, remaining silent as I chewed over our conversation.

I pondered Emmett's thought process. I tried to reason out what he would be thinking, hoping that maybe I'd find an answer that way. "How often did you think about coming back?" I asked Edward, staring at the top of his head while he tore away the segments of the orange. "I mean, what _made _you come back?"

His lips pressed into a line as he thought it through, staring unseeingly at a rock next to the school picnic table we were sitting on. "I thought about it a lot, but I was stubborn at first. I wouldn't return for a few years, but my thoughts always ran to Carlisle and Esme. Their love for me was always what kept my mind on them, and I missed them. I missed being someone's son, having a father and a mother—someone on my side. It can be very lonely living a nomad's life without someone. With them, I get two."

He turned his head up to me as I nodded in agreement. I knew I could never do this alone, from the first day I was changed.

He took a deep breath before he spoke. "One day, I was finally finished with playing God. Who was I to judge who lives and who dies?" He said the last statement with a humorless chuckle. "Carlisle has established a good foundation, and created a good home. Eventually, I wanted that structure and security again."

Listening to Edward, I stared into space. I pictured Emmett's nearly a decade later. Would Emmett ever feel the same about leaving us? Would his mind come to think of us enough for him to want to return, only knowing us for not even an hour?

The day went by like a blur. I couldn't even bring myself to do my usual parading down the corridor like I used to. Now, the source of my slower-than-human pace was this rejected daze I had fallen into.

We got home, and I sat at the piano. Normally Edward would argue that I was being a piano hog. He was a gifted composer and would put something together every few days. Today, however, he cut me a break. I played repetitive rounds of Moonlight Sonata in my self-pity mode once again.

After about an hour or so, I heard a very unnatural brush of wind right outside, followed by a slight wrap at the door.

I immediately stopped playing—the scent of cinnamon, musk, and baked bread slowly seeping through the cracks of the front door. _Who on earth could that be?_

Carlisle was at the door before I could even think to stand up. "Emmett, son, please,"—he gestured inside with his hand— "come on in."

I was startled at the sound of his name. My head whipped around to face the front door. My dead heart leaped out of my chest. My stomach filled with butterflies, stretching in painful ways, churning uncomfortably. A lump rose in my throat, and my knees began to tremble in anticipation. _He's come back!_

"I—," was all he could say at first, standing on our porch timidly. "I followed your scent here."

I sighed to myself as I heard his deep, commanding voice in a soft tone for the first time, my knees slightly weakening. Human anxiety, my mind recollected. It was a reaction I hadn't had since I was changed, but oddly came over me everytime this creature was near.

"That's all right, Emmett. Come inside, will you?" Carlisle smiled at him, trying to make him feel welcome.

I stood up, instinctively straightening out my slacks and blouse and running my fingers through my hair.

"I'd like a chance to start over," he said, still standing where he was. He shifted his weight and shuffled his feet nervously.

Edward and Esme now appeared, all of them standing in front of me, facing Emmett at the door.

"Of course you can, son," Carlisle insisted.

"I'm sorry for being such an ass," he muttered. "I never meant to hurt any of you."

"We know that, and it's fine," Esme said. "Please come inside, Emmett. You know you are welcome here."

He hesitated at the door. "I'm not sure if I can do what you guys do, but I also know I can't keep killing people," he sighed. His voice was a mixture of confliction and defeat. His words were sincere yet troubled.

Hearing this, I felt butterflies in my stomach again. I stood behind the others, my body arched to look around Carlisle and Esme's back to his face.

It was full of remorse. My big, beautiful Emmett looked all torn up. What could have happened to make him this distraught? But then I realized I didn't care. _He was back._

He slowly made his way into our foyer, our parents encouraging every step. I stepped to the side as Carlisle guided him upstairs to a spare bedroom next to Edward's.

I saw him glance at me from the corner of his eye as he walked passed me. I smiled at him slowly. He quickly averted his sight from me and looked straight ahead. I was ignored once again.

_Still bypassed by him_, I thought. _Was I not pretty enough?_ Never in my life had I been so insecure, but now this man comes into my life and suddenly I am feeling things that I have never felt before.

He never told us what happened directly, but I overheard Edward filling in Carlisle and Esme from what he had gathered in Emmett's mind. In his eight days away, he had hunted nine humans and five animals, all within hundreds of miles of each other to keep his and our anonymity in tact. None of these kills did he look back on, except for one.

Yesterday he had killed a young girl - a young, helpless, defenseless, innocent six year old girl with short red hair, dressed in a uniform on her way home from school - to feed on her. He had spent the whole day torturing himself with regret for killing the child.

He locked himself in his room, possibly to think. He didn't seem to want any company at the moment. We all gave him his space. I wanted desperately to knock at his door and be there for him, but I also knew I shouldn't push myself on him like I did in the forest that first day.

I spent most of that afternoon listening to my family's discussion about Emmett, pacing around and waiting for a sign that he may come out of his room. I longed to knock on his door and hold him next to me, but I knew I couldn't. My family could sense my apprehension as I drummed my fingers, pausing by the table between paces.

Later that evening, I stepped into my room, thinking I was partially happy, partially satisfied, but not anywhere near complete. He was back; he had returned. But he was far from returning any interest in me. I would need to be strong and wait. Hopefully, when he gets around to being himself, he may see more in me than the one who saved him.

I sat at my couch and opened up my chemistry textbook, but did not bother to turn on the light. My supernatural vision would allow me to read in the moonlight with no problem. I hadn't been studying in a while, and I had never been this far into my senior year when I died as a human, so the curriculum's material forthcoming was new to me.

I heard a brush of air and felt a breeze, causing me to look up reflexively.

There in front of my open window loomed a large figure. His massive, towering silhouette breathed deeply, causing the rise and fall of his shoulders and chest. The moonlight cast over one fourth of the right side of his body perfectly. He wore a borrowed pair of Edward's pants—but on him they looked like high waters— and a white t-shirt several sizes too small. _He would need to shop tomorrow_, I thought to myself comically.

"Emmett?" I breathed, partially startled, partially excited, as I rose from my couch.

"Please," he said softly, lifting up his hands as if to stop me from where he was. "Stay where you are. I can't afford a chance that I'd harm you again. If I suddenly turn on you again I don't know if I can control myself."

"What… are you doing here?" My stomach filled with butterflies, churning relentlessly.

His scent filled the room. I hadn't smelled it before today. It was a heady, intoxicating mix of musk, cinnamon, freshly baked bread, and cedar. I'd never smelled anything so appealing in my 20 years. There was no other smell like it. It drew me towards him like a magnet.

"I wanted… I wanted t-to," he stuttered and paused, looking at his feet, bringing his hands down to his sides. He took another deep breath before looking up and speaking again. "I wanted to apologize to you… formally. Ask for your forgiveness."

My dead heart felt like it was fluttering. "Apologize? What for?"

"I never meant to hurt you. To …to turn on you like I did. I—"

"Don't apologize, Emmett, please," I interjected, stepping forward.

"No, I want you to know, I would never lay a hand on a lady. Not like that. I'm a McCarty, and we don't hit women." He stepped back as I stepped forward. "Especially not you. You didn't deserve that," he lamented in a whisper, his mouth turning down at the corners. "I'm such an ass."

It was ironic that he said that, since I knew what he was up to while he was gone. No doubt some of his human kills were female. I was, however, too overcome by sympathy for him to linger on the thought for too long. Maybe newborns lacked sense as well. Regardless, my Emmett was at this moment in _my_ bedroom.

"Emmett, I know that wasn't you." I moved in his direction. "You weren't yourself."

He shook his head in protest. "Please forgive me."

"I—" I started as I watched his face, as he plead for my word. His eyes were slightly back to the puppy dog eyes he gave me when we first met. I couldn't argue with him. "I forgive you," I breathed as I took another step forward.

"Step back," he groaned, raising his hands back up.

I wanted to run to him, to hold him, to let him know he was forgiven, that everything was okay. I continued to move towards him slowly.

He let out a ferocious snarl and took a defensive stance for half a second before flinging himself out of the window and into our yard.

"Emmett," I cried softly, knowing he could here me.

Suddenly, Edward materialized in front of me, jumping into my window.

"He just wanted to apologize to you in private. But now we're going hunting," he explained quietly.

"Hunting? What—wait. I'll go with you," I insisted.

"No, Rose. You shouldn't. Not right now." His face became stern as he perched himself by the window, ready to jump out.

"But Edward—"

"Rose, stay home. It's not the right time," Edward pleaded, hopping out of my window to join Emmett, who was already waiting for Edward in the woods. He turned to face me. "Too dangerous," he mouthed to me in silence, before beginning his run towards Emmett.

"Edward," I called out into the night.

He turned to look at me, running backwards. "Let him be for now, Rose. Now is not the time."

_Bluenose twit_, I thought towards him, slightly upset and frustrated. I knew his concern for my safety, but couldn't help feeling like he was beginning to interfere with Emmett and me too much.

I heard Edward's huff in response to my thought echo in the night.

_Why can't you keep your nose out of my business?_

But they kept on their trail. I stared out my window as they both disappeared into the forest, sighing in frustration.

_This is going to be a long first year._

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**Endnotes:**

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**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

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	8. Chapter 7: Sunlight

Author's Note:

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: No lemons today, but sex is implied.**

Big, big ups to my beta, Ledybug. You rock and you know it. Thanks for keeping me on my toes! Get well soon! The stomach flu can be brutal, and allergies are just the worst.

To KariAnn for her assistance in "what would Carlisle think about…" Thank you for your valued opinions and suggestions!

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

**Playlist:**

**Incubus - Stellar**

**Bic Runga - Sway**

**Beyonce - Dangerously In Love**

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**Chapter 7: Sunlight**

"I don't get why I can't go hunting with Emmett. I mean, if you or Carlisle are with us it would be fine." I couldn't help but complain as Edward and I drove home one day from school in his Volvo. I knew I was whining but at the same time I needed to speak up for myself. He had been back for almost a week, feeding two or three times each day and I still wasn't allowed to come along.

"Rosalie, need I remind you he almost decapitated you the last time we all went hunting together."

"Yes and he broke your leg too, but you come back fine the last few times you've hunted with him."

"That's because I'm not trying to grind my body against him every chance I get—like _some_ people." He shifted his head to point his eyes in my direction.

"What? Don't be silly. I would never," I scoffed. I shook my head and rearranged the locks that framed my face as I examined myself in the side view mirror.

"Come on, Rose. You know you're incapable of being around him without wanting to physically get close to him. You're completely into to him and drawn to him even though you know the dangers associated with being in close proximity of the guy. You're feelings get in the way of your logic and it'll probably get you hurt again. We can't take that risk. Not right now. You know that. Why can't you just be patient about it?"

I exhaled loudly in obvious frustration. Carlisle and Edward switched off hunting with Emmett, giving him proper guidance and ensuring he kept to our diet. Emmett still experienced difficulties with hunting just animals. Esme and I were not allowed with him unsupervised out of precaution. There were protective of us females, and it irritated me. However, I had to be accepting of Carlisle's wishes, no matter how much I disagreed with them.

As we turned into the long windy road that lead to the house, Edwards eyes narrowed, his head slightly tilting to the left.

"What is it?"

"It's Emmett, practically screaming at me in his head. He wants me home soon."

"Why?"

"Not too sure," he said turning up our driveway.

There on our porch sat Emmett looking quite handsome in mustard colored corduroys and a navy mandarin collard button down shirt. The family finally got around to bring him items from shopping the other day at the "Big and Tall" section of the fairly new department store in New York City called Macy's. He got up and swiftly approached our car. "I thought you'd never get her, bro," he said.

Not ignoring the fact that he didn't acknowledge me as I stepped out of the car, I walked passed him, practically brushing past his shoulder and swaying my hips as I walked towards the house. He ignored my existence quite often. He seemed genuinely ashamed of his behavior before he disappeared and avoided me at all cost. I wasn't even sure he wanted to be friends, much less anything more. It slightly bothered me, but I also was able to endure it because I knew he still needed time. I still, however, made it a point to be as attractive around him as possible, just in case.

"Rosalie," I heard Edward call back. "I wouldn't—" was all I could here him say as I opened the front door.

The air wafted from the house towards me and brought an all too familiar aroma with it. My supernatural senses could hear a faint symphony of heaving panting and light moaning, accompanied by a rhythmic thudding of writhing iron clad bodies coming from two stories above.

"Oh, no! Oh… God," I breathed, hunching over and holding my stomach like I was going to vomit, as if vampires were capable of such a thing. The smell of sex flowed out from the house and I just about gagged as I quickly shut the door closed again.

"I thought maybe as a vampire I wouldn't be bothered by anything," I could hear Emmett telling Edward as they watched my reaction, "but no matter what species you are, I find listening to your parents having sex, biological or adopted, is just plain nasty."

"Nasty indeed," Edward agreed, "And quite disturbing."

I glared at them both. "A warning would have been wonderful," I sneered.

Edward smirked looking at Emmett and back at me. "Didn't you hear me? I tried."

"Despicable," I mumbled under my breath. "Not hard enough."

"Let's go hunting," Emmett coaxed towards Edward.

Edward nodded, and now I found the greatest opportunity to come along.

I trailed behind them as they began to walk towards the river's direction.

Edward shot me a warning look.

_And do you think I have something better to do?_ I asked him in my head.

He shrugged lightly in silence, not wanting Emmett to know our exchange.

_How about this, I'll keep my distance from you guys, as we hunt. No trying to "grind" against anyone._

Edward sighed shaking his head but not saying anything further. I took that as a reluctant green light and happily traveled along side my brother and my quasi-friend/potential mate. I was nearly skipping along, suddenly euphoric in Emmett's company.

It was my first hunting trip with Emmett since the strangling incident, as we all chased elk this time. I was careful to be more graceful than usual, as I had already perfected a hunting-and-feeding style that never caused a wrinkle in my clothing or a drop of blood on any part of me. Edward was neat as well having mastered the art for far more than a decade. Emmett was more evident in his young stature, too busy trying to drink as much as he can to care about cleanliness.

I glanced his way during our hunt, many many times. It thrilled me to watch him in action. I could almost swear that I caught him once in a while trying to sneak a peek at me from the corner of his eyes, but I wasn't sure if that was my imagination. It could very well be my mind at work with wishful thinking.

On our way back to the house we took our time on foot at a human's pace, making sure we didn't run into the love-fest that went on at home. An idea flashed in my head as I walked silently beside Edward, Emmett on his other side.

_Ask him about himself,_ I ordered in my head towards Edward.

He responded to me by giving me a quizzical look for a fracture of a second and then turning back to the direction we were headed.

_Please… for me. Ask him how old he is, about his family, all that._

Edward winced and shook his head no.

_Oh come on, little brother. It's not like he'll talk to me. I'm like vapor to him. He's been ignoring me since his apology. He adores you._

Edward looked away, ignoring my plea.

I suddenly began to remember the one time I actually caught Carlisle and Esme in the act, making use of our kitchen—;I began to utilize this quite disturbing visual to flash at Edward's thoughts to torture him.

Edward glared at me and his mouth curled downward with disgust. "So Emmett," he called over.

I smiled at my tactic that so worked like a charm.

"Tell us about yourself. Your human life: anything you can remember."

Emmett looked at Edward and arched a brow. He seemed confused at Edward's sudden inquiry. "Huh?"

Are boys not allowed to ask about each other? Was it some hidden code somewhere?

"Inquiring minds want to know," Edward mumbled, tilting his head at my direction as he looked back at Emmett.

I nudged him sharply with my elbow as he gave away my cover.

"What is it that you want to know, exactly?" Emmett asked.

"Full name, age, interests, hobbies, family," Edward repeated verbatim from my mind. I was quite annoyed at his lack of discretion as he so obviously pointed out that this inquiry wasn't his own.

"I'm twenty. Emmett McCarty. I like sports, wrestling especially, and cars. I have one brother, Elliot, 23. Dad's name is Stuart. Mother's name was Muriel." He shot out his answers, simple and swift.

Suddenly he paused at a tree and began to climb as Edward followed.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well, since we're killing time, might as well have fun," he answered, still avoiding eye contact as he scaled the tree further. This was harder than I thought.

I looked over at Edward who seemed to be right on point and in good spirits to follow his new brother. It seemed something oddly looking like a smile on self-loathing-boy's face. He was actually having fun.

_You do this often?_ I asked him silently.

Edward shook his head at me as he hopped onto the next branch.

Luckily, I wore an emerald green satin shirt and semi-old pair of brown tweed pants to school today, but still hesitated before I joined in on the pointless climbing as I was concerned about snagging the fabric. I knew if I was that careful, my enhanced abilities would help me calculate a way to scale these trees without harming my outfit or my chocolate high heel leather pumps. It was all in an effort to spend time with Emmett, even though he clearly didn't care to spend time with me.

Both of the boys took turns trying to outdo one another in acrobatics, swinging from one tree to the next in an array of flips, twists, and turns. I had managed to find a substantial branch high on a spruce that I perched myself on so I could lean against its trunk and cross my legs as I watched them. Emmett was having a blast with his new abilities, with a look of excitement and almost a hint of a smile across his lips as he went through the motions. It was all rather adorable.

"So…your mom," Edward began. "You said her name was Muriel."

"Yeah," Emmett said doing a back-flip onto another tree nearby.

"Was?" Edward confirmed.

Emmett paused before grabbing a thick branch with one hand and starting to do one-armed pull-ups on it. "Well, my mom died when I was about seven. Car accident."

"Sorry to hear that," Edward and I both said in unison.

"It's okay, really. She was a beautiful woman and we loved her, but it happened a long time ago. Anyway, I was raised by her mother, my Nana, until she died when I was 18. My dad was around to raise me too of course, but he worked all the time. He remarried when I was 13 to this woman, Sandra. She was OK, but Nana never liked her much." His voice hitched with every pull up, switching arms half way through. I was thoroughly impressed, only we could now hear the bow about to break.

He did an aerial into the tree next to mine to avoid snapping the previous branch in half with his weight, swinging around, once again like a monkey. "She didn't even really like my dad for my mom, because he wasn't from the same social class, him lacking in wealth and all. The McCarty's didn't have much money. Nana's family was quite well off. Regardless, I was her favorite, so when she passed on, she left me a bunch of things. She asked me to hide it from my dad and Sandra." He sighed, his eyes far away. "I miss her the most." He seemed a bit irritated as he clearly tried to recall his life, though I knew just as much as Edward that human memories dim after our transformation.

I smiled as I heard him speak of his family, and the love he definitely had for them, especially his grandmother. He looked up at me and turned away quickly, seemingly embarrassed as he was caught doing so. His expression was always serious around me. I longed to see him smile, and be the cause of it.

He didn't continue his story, but we both assumed he had said a mouthful already. Neither of us pushed him on it further. We headed home shortly after, thankfully avoiding the duration of our parents'… activities.

It was only eight days since Emmett had returned to our family. Carlisle, Esme and I were all in the living room, in its various tones of a soft sage green. Carlisle and Esme on the couch, me on the love seat, and Emmett sat across from me in the armchair. We sat together as we explained in great detail each of our stories of becoming a vampire. It was nice the other day to get the details of his background, but now he was getting the dish on each of our vampire beginnings while Edward sat at the piano composing another piece. We began with Carlisle's story that began in England close to three hundred years ago, Edward's story in the hospital dying of the Spanish Influenza in 1918, and Esme's fall in Ohio in 1921. Mine, the most recent, was, in turn, the last.

"We were in Rochester two years ago," Carlisle told him softly. "I found her lying on the streets. The scent of her blood brought me to her. People had left her to die."

Right then I realized my story was the only one that ended at a third party's fault. It was funny that I never thought of it that way before.

A look of shock shot across Emmett's face as it sank in. "But who would try kill her? She wouldn't hurt a fly." He turned to glance at me and smiled slightly. It was the first smile I'd ever see cross his face, sending a fresh wave of consuming warmth my way.

I couldn't help but smile back, touched to receive such a simple, gentle acknowledgement from him. After all, it was what I longed for since his return.

His dimples set in his cheek as he held his grin. "She's an angel," he breathed, his luscious lips forming to each word. There was a softness in his ruby eyes just then.

My stomach dropped to the floor immediately. _He called me an angel_. I was immediately on cloud nine and struggling quickly to bring myself back down to earth. We hadn't spoken to each other in days. Today marked progress in his acknowledging my existence since his apology to me in my room. He otherwise did not speak directly to me. I began to fidget and play with my hair.

I noticed movement in Carlisle's direction, helping me concentrate and bringing me back to earth. Carlisle shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Apparently he didn't want to get into the details of my close encounter with death, as he looked to me for guidance.

"My fiancé did," I intervened, coming to my father's rescue.

Emmett turned to Carlisle quickly and back to me, a look of disbelief and confusion on his face. "Fiancé? You were going to marry him? And he tried to kill you?"

The memory was hurtful, but the interest that Emmett suddenly had towards the story was more then welcome to me at that moment. "Well I don't know if he tried, but he certainly succeeded, with some…. help. Royce, he and his friends were intoxicated on the street. I was coming home from a friend's house. He called me over and wanted to show me off." I could barely keep a calm demeanor as I spoke of my late betrothed. I turned to the floor just then, knowing the worst of the story was to come.

"Rosalie, if you don't want to share, it's fine dear," Carlisle soothed, Esme reaching her hand out to hold mine.

My eyes switched to my adoptive father for a moment. "It's fine, Carlisle," I assured him. I turned in Emmett's direction, but my eyes still fell to the floor. "One of his friends complained that they couldn't really see me because I was… wearing too much…. clothes. So he ripped off my coat and…" I let my voice trail off. I figured my silence was enough to fill in the gap, my eyes fixed on the floor before turning up slowly to face him.

Emmett looked at me with pained eyes. "Wait… they… all of them?"

"All five of them," I acquiesced quietly, switching my eyes away bashfully. I cleared my throat before continuing. "They were long gone before Carlisle found me."

I permitted myself another glance at his features, his gaze intent on me.

That innocent face that I saw on him near the campsite was back again. My life was now complete. I wasn't sure if he would ever love me, but at the least we would be friends. I could almost live with that if I wasn't so desperately hung up on him. My dead heart longed for much, much more.

I gulped before I continued the story. "Well, when Carlisle found me I was lying… unclothed and badly beaten. He carried me home." I stared ahead of me, unfocused, imagining the speed he'd taken when he took me home.  
I thought I had died, and was going to heaven. The speed he took as he carried me was just so unreal."

"Thus began her life as our daughter," Esme contributed. I smiled back at her in response, before turning back to Emmett.

He gave me a look of sympathy. "I can't believe that happened to you. That's just so… cruel." His eyes went wild, his head obviously plotting. His right hand clenched into a fist, lightly punching and twisting into the other hand. "I'd love to run into them one day and see what happens. I'd give them a piece of my mind, if not more." I heard a rumbling groan rise in his throat.

I giggled. "Its okay, Emmett," I assured him. "They've all been taken care of."

"By who?" he asked, curious, looking at all of us this time, even sneaking a look past the couches to the piano at Edward.

Carlisle gave him a serious face. "I do not condone what happened to that man and his friends." He took a deep breath shaking his head with reluctance as he divulged the next bit of information. "However, not that I relish killing any humans, but our little Rosalie here is a big girl, and can take care of business if she so wishes."

Emmett turned his head slowly at me. His expression had changed. It was almost respectful, and seemed a bit proud. "You? You killed them? Fed on them and all?"

"Well I didn't feed on them. I just… sought revenge and ended their lives." I felt uneasy as I explained it. I didn't want to get into the fact that I wanted no "part" of them in me… even their blood.

"I hope you kicked their ass and tore them apart limb by limb!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Though I think I would've still fed on them."

Carlisle and Esme chuckled at Emmett's enthusiasm, as well as the comment on feeding on the humans. Ever a newborn always after blood.

I just smiled back timidly and looked down at my hands. Somehow, I couldn't handle his gaze at me just then. My fingers found my locks again and I absentmindedly began twirling them around my index finger.

I felt a light charge of energy in the air as his concern and pride from me grew evident. I looked down at my shoes, overcome with so much emotion at that moment. It was almost a warm tenderness—something secure that cradled me from within. My mind tried to decipher it. It wasn't sexual in any matter, but it was heavy and sat with me decidedly.

My mind was interrupted by a sudden aggressive hiss from Emmett. I looked up at him, his eyes growing wild with thirst again. By defensive vampire instinct, I leaned away, as did Esme. Carlisle became alert.

This happened quite often and was always abrupt. I was sure the thought of draining my assailants would have done it for him, but it wasn't all. Apparently the breeze coming from an open window brought the smell of bobcats with it. He stood up, clenched fists, his knuckles white once again.

Carlisle stood up with him. "Time for a meal?" he asked.

Emmett nodded, motioning to the window, eagerly shaking— and I knew in this mode he was _very_ dangerous.

Even though I had accompanied Edward and Emmett the other day, I still was not able to come along. That day deemed just an exception; my family still insisted that they couldn't take the risk. I swallowed my stubborn nature and accepted it, but that didn't make it easier for me.

Without further ado, they leaped out into the night. I watched them disappear and I sat in the loveseat staring into space. I tried to understand all that I was feeling: longing, embarrassment, modesty, and a weakness that enveloped me completely. It pulled and yanked at me from the inside.

Esme excused herself to looking over some swatches and color schemes for a new project. Edward had deserted the piano and retreated to his room, probably writing another journal entry about life.

I walked at a human's pace over to the baby grand piano in our semi-circular living room. I sat down, smoothing my skirt as I took a seat on the slick bench and began to play the first song that came to mind: Mozart's "Sonata in A Major, K. 331."

I thought as I played. This strange feeling tugged at my insides and brought butterflies to my stomach. His face was carved into my mind, as he first began to show his personality today. Just as I feared…I now longed for him more than ever. I felt heat waves once again, and I couldn't figure it out. It was almost like a painful yearning— like pure adulation. I didn't get it. As I mentioned before, it wasn't anything sexual; I wasn't aroused at this moment. What was it that bothered me so? I continued to play, my mind racing with millions of thoughts, my heart heavy.

I switched up to another song I knew by heart, "Arioso," by Bach. Its beautiful melody was soothing. It helped guide my logic in deciphering my emotions.

I slowly came to a realization as I was nearing the end of the song, my long slender fingers tickling the keys as I was softly playing to completion.

I was not there to witness what happened with Carlisle when he found and fell in love with Esme. I just heard bits and pieces from him and in one conversation I had with Edward. As vampires we were frozen not just in flesh—but also in personality, preferences, and taste. Ever so rarely would anything change us, but when a change does happen, it would no doubt be a fixed change, that would stay with us for eternity. According to both Edward and Carlisle, Carlisle had changed to the point that to this day, he still looked at Esme like he did the very first time. There was no denying his love for her, and he would always love her the same way he did when he first met her. A good man before, but an even better man now because he learned to love someone wholly and unconditionally.

It all solidified now. This wasn't anything shallow. It had nothing to do with how beautiful Emmett was, or what a lovely match we would make because we were both equally such gorgeous creatures. It was still the truth, but not the point. This ran deep; deeper than anything I had ever experienced in my entire being. It was nothing like I had felt with Royce, nothing even remotely close. Unlike him, Emmett had a soul, compassion, a drive, and laughter. Emmett had _life_ to him; one that I was drawn to, that I realized that I not only needed in this life that I resented, but a spark of life in him that I wanted to be a part of.

There was a tangible change; a sudden and unmistakable shift that took place in me at this moment, or had it been that I was changing all along since I met him? The grey murky skies of my existence had lifted. The dark resentful clouds that overcast on my being, parted revealing strong beams of sunlight—the very light in the tenderness of his eyes as he smiled at me today for the very first time. My future—a predictable, boring lull of lonely repetitive schooling and existing—was now altered into something bright and scary at the same time. I now knew nothing that lay ahead of me except for one thing.

This warmth that I was feeling - the exquisite torture and pain that washed over me - was fated, unconditional love.

_I am completely and undeniably in love with Emmett McCarty._

* * *

Author's Note:

* * *

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	9. Chapter 8: Pheromone

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: Not quite a lemon in this chapter, but sex is implied.**

Big thanks to my beta, Beth, aka Ledybug.

8/30/2010: Proofed by KariAnn and Idealistic4ever.

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV.

Playlist:

The Beatles - In My Life

Fergie - Clumsy

Jodeci - Freak'N You

Silk - Freak Me

* * *

**Chapter 8: Pheromone**

* * *

In love.

I was in love and completely clueless.

The following day, after he'd graced me with the fact that he thought I was an angel, he was back to being indifferent. He wasn't so much cold. I didn't really feel that. But it was like his mind had reset, and he'd forgotten all about our family discussion. He was just apathetic—completely unresponsive to me. A casual nod hello here. A tip of his hat there. Standing up when I entered the room. All of this nonchalance occurred without an utterance of a single word. All of this but not a step toward me, nor an effort to socialize with me.

Not that I wasn't partially _thankful_ for such indifference at the moment. In the days that followed my epiphany, I wasn't sure what to do or how to act. Because of this, I found myself almost appreciative of his unresponsiveness, even though my heart longed for his affection, or even just his attention.

Even if he did speak to me, what would I say?

I was scared. Scared that if I tried to speak to him, I'd tell him how I felt and appear to be too forward—so improper for a young lady such as myself. Or worse, something stupid and unpredictable would come out of my mouth that I would regret later. Thinking about his handsome face, I knew that trying to speak would be a challenge. I wondered if I would even be able to compose a coherent sentence at all.

It was easy in my human life, because I was always the object of desire, of infatuation, and no one ever caught my eye but Royce. Even then, however, what I felt for Royce was a mere infatuation of the idea of love. I recognized that now. It was not the genuine feeling of an all-encompassing true love—the all encompassing love that I now felt for Emmett. This was completely new.

I was left finding things to do with my time in an effort to distract myself from my emotional ups and downs.

It was a sunny day—too sunny to go to school. Our vampire skin would be sparkling like diamonds, bouncing off a million rainbows in this sunlight. It would be a true indicator that we were different—a definite breach of vampire law. Edward and I knew we had to stay home. Well, I knew we couldn't attend school, but I did not plan to stay home today. For the last month or so since I found Emmett, I had been distracted from other aspects of my life. He had been back for roughly two and a half weeks by now, and he still wasn't speaking to me. I needed to concentrate on many other things while his newborn phase dragged on.

It had occurred to me that I had not spied on my human family in months. I had done this three or four times before: dressing in disguise, heading by car to Rochester, sitting outside of their house to get a peek at what my parents were up to, and how my two younger brothers had grown. It was hard to resist. I had only been a vampire for just over two years, and when your human family is still alive you cannot help but be curious. They were the only solid connection to my human life, and, knowing that I'd outlive them, my days of watching over them were limited.

I hummed to myself lightly as I sat at my vanity and set my hair in a flat bun, pressing it further against my head with a hairnet. I stepped into my walk-in closet to grab my wig—a shiny, warm, chestnut brown chin-length bob with finger waves accenting the front, parted to the right side. Returning to my vanity, I secured it on my head with bobby pins. I then placed a maroon deco cloche hat over it, making sure it tipped over my left eye. Donning my knee length, double-breasted tan trench coat over my maroon pantsuit, I headed out the door.

It was 5:00am when I left. It took me an amazing eight short hours to get from Appalachia to Rochester in Carlisle's Bentley. Carlisle was generous to lend the car to me so long as I dropped him off at the hospital and dropped Esme off at Taylor's Department Store in Cleveland along the way. I thanked God that it was overcast in upper-state New York today. I knew I would be able to walk among the humans without scaring them with unusual diamond skin.

I searched and found the house my family now lived in. They had moved shortly after my "death," to a smaller house; I figured they didn't want memories of me abiding in the house I grew up in. Following their familiar scent, I found the small blue townhouse and lingered on a tall tree nearby, careful to make sure any passersby did not spot me. I could hear my mother humming in the house as I stalked the surrounding area. I found her in the living room, in a housedress with her silvery blonde hair in a messy bun, dusting the furniture. Over the mantle of the fireplace held framed pictures of my family. A few contained photos of me. She dusted over the large frame of my solo portrait taken when I was sixteen and stopped humming. I watched her stare for an immeasurable moment, seeming a bit choked up, as she was lost in thought.

My heart broke. I'd recently I grown resentful towards her and my father for pushing me into a life with Royce King the Second for the purposes of their social climbing and gold-digging ways. However, they were my biological parents, and I loved them unconditionally. They were not nearly the wonderful people I now call my parents back in Appalachia, but I couldn't deny my connection to my past life, my own flesh and blood. My dead heart rattling in my chest, the longing for this life I was supposed to have lingering in my ribcage.

I only say my heart broke _slightly_ because it was the truth. The Kings were the one royal family in Rochester, and Royce King the First was the owner of the bank my father worked for. It was my own mother who one day had me in my white organza with my hair rolled up just to go to the bank and bring my father lunch. That was where his son watched me, and that night the first of many flowers came to my door. I was ecstatic to be engaged to such a good-looking, wealthy man, but I was just a pretty thing in his arm and in his disgusting hands; it eventually lead to my human destruction.

I eventually came to a conclusion in my two years as a vampire: I'd had only a faint awareness of my parents' plan to lure him into the family, using me as the bait; hoping to secure our financial well being with that of the Kings through the marriage of their children. Although our family was better than middle class and made the Great Depression look like a silly myth, my parents still longed for better riches. I, of course, had inheritedmuch of my grand taste from them as well; I was never satisfied with what good fortune I had and was always craving material things. I frowned that their greed had indirectly lead to my death, and I harbored a small but distinct resentment toward them as a result. I knew it wasn't their fault that Royce had turned out to be the snake that he was. They hadn't known, but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I loved them no matter what, and even though Royce was the true culprit that had stolen my life, I couldn't help but wonder where I'd be right now if they hadn't meddled with my life.

I watched my mother for close to two hours as she continued cleaning the house, ironed my father and brothers' shirts, and prepared supper. This was the only way I could see her again, and I was thankful for the opportunity. I had not been permitted to do such a thing in my first year as a newborn, but Carlisle and Esme both understood my need and curiosity for my human family, and thus they never interfered with my choice to do this now that my bloodlust was under control.

It neared 3:00pm, and I decided to step away from the house, fleeing over to quickly examine the bench at the bus stop that sat diagonally across the street from their home, before deciding it was a good place to sit. I knew my brothers would be coming home from school around this time, and I needed to figure out how to be inconspicuous. I flew to the nearest newspaper vendor and purchased a copy of the latest _New York Times_ before I returned to sit at that bus stop. I crossed my legs and opened the paper, holding it up so that only my eyes could be seen. This was my disguise, as I couldn't show them my face. I knew even with the wig, one of them could possibly recognize their deceased older sister.

Richard and Ronald, Jr., my two younger brothers, pulled into the driveway not even ten minutes later. _Perfect timing,_ I thought to myself. They both stepped out of the car with their schoolbooks in hand. I heard them greet my mother when they walked into the house. I found it amusing that Richard was now driving. He was your typical younger brother with a heavy symptom of misbehavior.

Ronald, Jr., or Ronnie, as I so lovingly addressed him, was my youngest and favorite brother. He had grown nearly a foot since my "mortal death," his handsome face taking on manly features. My preternatural hearing allowed me to catch my mom ordering him to "tidy-up the automobile." Stepping out of the house, he brought a rag to wipe down the family car. I could not believe how much he had changed and grown up. He was now fifteen, with his blond hair in a buzz cut, and he wore a neatly pressed shirt and pants.

I stared at him, remembering the many times I would put him to bed, reading him books or telling him bedtime stories that I knew from my own childhood.

Just then, a woman walked by with a wicker pram baby stroller that carried a little girl, about two years old. The mother nodded her head at me, and I returned her nod, her child waving at me as they passed.

For the first time in a long time, a pang in my stomach surfaced as I felt a longing for children again. I then realized what my baby brother had meant to me as I'd grown up. He was practice for what I believed was the big game—my future children.

Trying to mentally mend my dead broken heart at the moment, I thought quickly of Emmett and his presence in my life. Maybe one day I could have half the life I longed for with a man that loved me. I then, however, remembered that Emmett still had not shown interest in me, and my heart broke all over again. I tried to shake off the thought and concentrated back on my family's house, listening as my little brother shut the car door while he cleaned out some of the clutter.

He looked around the perimeter of his front yard and surrounding area, settling on the bus stop. He focused on me and smiled—a friendly smile to a woman sitting at the bus stop, unknowing I was his sister, now a brunette haired stranger to him.

I returned his gaze and couldn't help but smile back, before I realized that I had unconsciously left the newspaper at my lap, no longer concealing my face as I stared at Ronnie.

His smile slowly faded. His crystal blue eyes narrowed before they grew wide with fright, color leaving his now pale face. His expression was one of horror; it was one of obvious recognition of his presumed dead sister sitting right in front of him.

_Shit._

I had blown my cover.

I threw the paper up in the air and fled the scene, leaving the pages of newsprint falling and swaying in the air before they reached the ground in my wake. I knew that to his mortal eyes I'd look like I disappeared. I could hear him bellow out to my mom, crying that he saw a ghost.

What I mess I just made. What a careless, stupid, mindless mistake. Of course he would recognize me, his sister that he was closest to; no matter what disguise I wore, with a brown wig and new golden eyes, he would know the face of his big sister Rose. That was very foolish.

I had always been mindful before—always careful, always cautious. I came to grasp now how affected I was by the presence of Emmett in my life, and my situation where I was constantly ignored, left feeling rejected. I had become insecure, distracted, and grew careless in everything I did. I needed to concentrate on maintaining more control over my actions and my thoughts.

Fleeing to the car, I headed towards Cleveland to pick up Esme and return home. I knew now I couldn't even wait for my biological father to return from a day's work because of the fragile state I had left Ronnie in. I began my reluctant drive back to Virginia, chastising myself for messing up today.

* * *

"Engine exhaust to headers," I softly mumbled to myself, comparing the diagram sketched in my car mechanics manual to the objects underneath the car. It was just about nightfall one weekday as I lay on a mechanic's creeper underneath Carlisle's Bentley, trying to teach myself more auto body anatomy once again.

It marked the four week anniversary of Emmett's awakened state as a vampire, a couple days after I had scared my human brother to death. I was still sentenced not to be alone with Emmett for too long because of his erratic behavior. Just the other day he took a swing at Carlisle with his fist while hunting as Carlisle tried to stop him when they crossed the scent of humans. Emmett allowed Carlisle to stop him, though, which was an improvement. Nevertheless, he was still dangerous, and I still wasn't to be allowed with him by myself. The same concern was for Esme as well, but more so for me because they knew I had feelings and constantly craved proximity and physical contact with him.

As a result, I ended up drowning myself in distractions. Cars were a big one; dancing and music were others. My human family would be another, but being that I royally screwed up so recently, it was not an option for me to spy on them anytime soon.

Today it was cars. I was trying to identify the path that the exhaust takes, just to occupy my thoughts. "Headers to catalytic converter." The diagram in the book was slightly different from what I saw under the Bentley, so I tried my best to translate those drawn parts with the ones in front of me.

"Catalytic converter to muffler…" With my feet I lightly scooted my body along the length of the car towards the rear.

"Muffler to exhaust pipe and out..." I mumbled again. I slammed down one foot to stop the creeper.

I paused to read some more of the fine print in the manual. This was rather tedious but I was a woman on a mission for knowledge.

"The headers combine the exhaust from all the chambers in the engine into one pipe."

I hummed to myself a popular tune on the radio, with one leg tapping to the beat in my head. I was a fan of Shirley Temple, and I adored her latest release.

Just then I heard two pairs of feet make a soft landing on our lawn.

"Wow, so much for that shirt. That lion wasn't going to give up without a fight, huh?" I heard Edward say as they entered the garage.

I heard Emmett's laughter in response. "I have respect for that animal."

I pressed my lips together. Naturally, he never found it difficult to speak to Edward, and I found myself completely jealous of it. They were just getting back from a hunting trip. I was prepared to ignore them like I always do and keep to my business. It was a defense mechanism I had devised for myself. If I could ignore him as he did me, I wouldn't get hurt.

Just then I saw the two pairs of feet stop at the car. I stopped humming and tapping my foot.

"Good day, Miss Rosalie. What are you doing under there?" Emmett asked.

I froze. My train of thought came to a halt. _Did he just ask me a question?_

He hadn't spoken a phrase to me—not one that wasn't prompted by someone else, at least, not one that wasn't under supervision of Carlisle or Edward. Other than saying hello, good bye, thank you, and good night, he never so much as looked at me for longer than a small moment, let alone had a conversation with me—at least not one that was self-induced. We hadn't spoken one on one since his apology. My family assured me that he felt horrible and avoided me because he didn't want to harm me anymore. It didn't stop from hurting my feelings or my ego any less.

I was mentally hyperventilating as I pulled out from under the hood and stood up from the creeper, dusting off my navy and white nautical-style playsuit. I tried to discreetly fix my hair. I caught a glimpse of my reflection on the Bentley's side mirror. My hair was pulled neatly into a ponytail, falling out of the rubber band in a soft golden wave. My makeup was still flawless, my lips a deep crimson shade. I was able to assess this in less than half a second, pleased.

"Just comparing the diagrams here in the manual with what I see under there," I explain to him, trying my best to be nonchalant and holding up the manual like a moron. I did a quick check of my outfit, making sure I didn't miss any dust, making sure I didn't miss any dust. "And it's Rose," I reminded him, finally looking up at his eyes.

They were liquid-bright ruby red from hunting; big and round, like a lost puppy. I could lose myself in their depth. A small grin met his luscious lips. "Miss Rose, I'm sorry," he corrected himself. The friendly grin traveled up to meet his eyes. If my heart were still alive, it would race right now. His shirt was torn to shreds towards the bottom hem, exposing his six—no wait, it was eight—pack. I drooled inwardly.

I guess it wasn't enough that I was so desperately in love with him. I had to desperately lust after him as well.

Just when I was about to tell him to drop the "Miss" from my name, I was interrupted by an irritating voice.

"You know, Rose," Edward began in a smooth, playful tone, "I didn't realize you'd be so desperate to find another way to look for reflective objects. Must you find every possible thing to look at yourself with?"

I turned my head away from Emmett and narrowed my eyes in Edward's direction. "Take a hike, will you? _Please,_ Edward. At least I don't sit around hating myself like you do. Being all 'crybaby' about being a monster. You are such a twerp." What happened to friendly, loving brother Edward? I guess annoying, irritating brother was back.

From the corner of my eye I spotted Emmett walking over to the corner of the garage, peeling his shirt off and tossing it into the trash, his back to me.

Edward stood looking at me with an irritating smirk. "You and your shallow little mind can't come up with anything better, can you?" He pushed away. "You better not break Carlisle's car," he sneered, walking towards the door. "I'll get you another shirt, Emmett," he called over his shoulder as he let himself into the house.

Emmett's back stared at me, calling my name. I drank in all of his glorious body with my eyes—his large frame, from his neck, his broad shoulders. I was helpless not to let my eyes travel the musculature that flexed effortlessly over his shoulder blades, the incline of the small of his back, leading my eye right down to his slack-covered sleek and shapely backside. I had the sudden urge to lick him up and down the trail that my eyes just traveled.

Just then I felt moisture pool between my legs. My body couldn't help itself, as I was overcome with desire for him, from him just simply taking his shirt off. I was dizzy. I felt my temperature rise three degrees and my head started to spin.

He stretched and flexed his large, thick arms. _Those arms_. It was like he was wearing a long sleeved sweater made of muscles. The wetness increased between my thighs with my lack of mental control.

Slowly, and by _slowly _I meant even slower than a human's pace, he turned his head towards me, his body still faced the other way. He stared at me over his shoulder questioningly. I saw his nostrils flare ever so slightly, like he caught a whiff of something, and I knew I was a goner.

I shifted my legs as if to check, my thighs rubbing together, and I could feel the slick and moist area between them just from that move alone.

_Oh god_, I thought. _He smells my arousal! _I winced mentally._ Somebody, shoot me now!_

I gulped and stepped back, as if that would help things. As vampires our sense of smell is very strong, and no doubt Emmett would, as well as the rest of my family, be able to detect I was turned on. Frightened of what might happen next, I watched him carefully and took another step away from him.

He turned around fully, his pectoral muscles staring back at me now. His chest and abdominal muscles were well defined in the moonlight that filtered into the garage. _Oh Jesus_, I thought. _He wants to kill me with his sex. Burn me now, someone, light me on fire and let me burn. _It wasn't an innuendo; the only thing that could destroy or hurt a vampire was fire.

"If you ever need help with that," he said softly, gesturing towards the Bentley, "I'd be more than willing to assist you. I'm not an expert but I know a little bit to help." He stepped closer, and I felt electricity in the air between us. "Just enough to make me dangerous."

Suddenly, I wasn't sure if we were talking cars anymore.

The word _dangerous_ had me on edge, though. A small part of my mind recoiled at the memory of his large hand crushing my neck.

"When I get over this newborn phase, that is," he said, taking another step towards me. "It should be safer." The air was zinging with electric shock as his proximity grew towards me. "I could help you all that you need." His eyes were hungry, wild, but not from thirst this time. A side of his lips turned up in a sly half smile.

_Yes, I am quite certain it's not cars anymore. I think it might be something else._

I stared at his succulent, tantalizing mouth once again. _I want it to be something else._

Just then, the tip of his tongue reached out to lick his lower lip before retracting back into his mouth. My own lips parted at the sight. I wanted to taste his lips, and feel them on me… everywhere. I'd never felt like this before in my life.

I'd never known sex. My biological parents had given me the talk much later, but only that doing it was wrong. Before my last human night, I'd never been intimate with anyone. Not even Royce, who was too busy with the family business. He had made advances on me once, but I'd declined, wanting to keep my virtue intact for my wedding night. It wasn't too far away, our engagement only lasting months, so I was okay to wait. I thought he was, too. Not quite the case. I tuned out of my errant thought of my late fiancé, with the call of something more pleasant—and hot—right before me.

That was a different time, and I never wanted Royce like this. Like I desperately wanted Emmett. Like I desperately needed him. The woman with me awakened, and my sexual need bloomed within me, in the tingle I felt on my skin, in the surge of heat that rushed to my core. To be encased by those thick arms, and feel the scrumptious weight of his body on my own. I could imagine him reaching out to me, mounting me against the hood of the car.

My panties by that point were soaked. Emmett took another step in my direction, this time close enough that I could feel his cool breath on me. I leaned back in caution ever so slightly, and my own breathing became erratic. His eyes stared down at me, trying to search for something in my own. He gulped before he spoke. "I could try to help you now, maybe."

"Th-that would b-be nice," I managed to stutter, inching away from him a fraction of a degree.

The electricity was now bouncing back and forth between us. Mentally, I was already pouncing on him, but I wasn't too sure what was on his mind. I was going to let him lead. I knew that a newborn's need to feed took precedence over any other desires. Sex was a very human desire, and my mind knew that it would not be in the forefront of his consciousness. I wanted to believe it, but I couldn't. It was way too early for any of this, but there it was, right in front of me, staring me in the eye.

I took in his scent. _Cinnamon bread._ It was musky, sweet, and delicious all at the same time. It was drawing me in, but I resisted with all of my strength, still waiting for him to make a move.

He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply again, and I began to think maybe he liked my smell as well. A moment of embarrassment passed me as I realized my arousal was pretty potent in the air, and I was immediately self-conscious.

He opened his eyes slowly to look at me. A sudden growl rumbled from his chest, his eyes growing from wild to fierce. I immediately sank, taken back by the harshness of its tone. This reaction was… wrong somehow. Vicious. Full of rage, and guarded. I recognized it from his abrupt mood swings based on thirst.

_This can't be good_, I thought, and I took an instinctive step back. Yet it left me bewildered. We'd just had a moment of obvious attraction and insane electrifying heat. What had brought on the sudden defensive frenzy? Was it all in my head? Had I read too far into it? I couldn't have.

I furrowed my brow as I watched Emmett bare his sharp teeth at me. I felt sick. Maybe I _had_ read too much into the exchange. I felt the pang of rejection as I realized I was right all along. It _was_ too early. Way too early.

Suddenly I heard Edward, speaking as he walked back out of the house and into the garage. "Hey, man, here's your shirt. Sorry it took so long. Carlisle and I got to talking about what great progress you're making so far on your diet and—" Stopping abruptly in his sentence and his tracks, Edward froze. His eyes flickered from me to Emmett and back, our thoughts running through his head. His face seemed a bit apprehensive.

Edward inhaled deeply, taking in the situation, but then his eyes abruptly grew wide and shot me a look of disgust.

_Oh god he smells me, too_, I whined in my head, humiliated. _Can this night get any better? _

I looked away from Edward. This was just getting out of hand. I needed to make sure to control my thoughts around my family. There weren't many secrets to tell anymore.

"I'm… ugh—" he began, distaste spitting from his mouth, no doubt as a result of my arousal. "Come on, Emmett. You've had enough… time outside." He took another deliberate step towards Emmett. "Let's go listen to the game. The Mets are playing the Sox on the radio right now."

I immediately became livid. _What the hell do you think you're doing?_ I directed my thoughts to Edward. _Do you like butting in on private conversations?_ I wasn't ready for him to take Emmett away from me, though I wasn't sure of how to get myself out of this situation.

Ignoring me, he cautiously advanced toward the suddenly irate newborn. "Emmett," he called again, reaching his hand out to his new brother. "Baseball game. Inside. Mets against the Sox." His voice was deliberate, his eyes never leaving Emmett. "Deep breath, brother. No one's here to fight you."

Emmett's eyes shut, taking several deep breaths before he opened them again.

Throwing the shirt at Emmett and grabbing his arm, Edward lugged Emmett back into the house.

Emmett snarled, but he didn't protest, letting Edward drag him by his arm. His eyes didn't leave mine as he walked backwards into the house, letting out a very vampire-like hiss trailing behind them.

I was confused at Emmett's reaction to me, and annoyed at Edward's intrusion. Without delay, I put the blame where I could. _Does it bother to you see two people trying to be happy?_

Edward poked his head out, looking directly at me, shaking his head. "Too soon, too dangerous," he mouthed, probably not wanting Emmett to hear his warning.

_Bluenose twit, I swear_, I thought.

I looked up at a tap at the window. "I heard that," Edward mouthed.

_I meant you to_, I said in my head to him before he disappeared.

I threw down my leg, stomping the floor in a mini-temper tantrum. Just when I thought things were turning, I get the rug pulled out from under me. I sighed in frustration and sat back down on the creeper. Suddenly I wasn't in the mood for mechanics. My mind was left with thoughts of sparkling ruby gem-like eyes, the eyes that belonged to the one man who could relieve my aching heart.

Who was I kidding? I had thoughts of clutching onto Emmett's deltoids as he pounded me with his manhood into heavenly oblivion. He was the only man who could relieve the tingle between my thighs.

"Ugh!" I groaned in irritation.

And it was only just beginning…

* * *

Endnotes


	10. Chapter 9: Standstill

My **awesome** beta for this chapter: **Lisa**, the lovely **cfmom.**

**To V&P's new readers:** Read on. Read on. From this point, story is at the pace that I intended. Yey for you!

Playlist:

· Jewel – Standing Still

· Christina Aguilera – Impossible

· Colbie Caillat – Realize

* * *

**Chapter 9: Standstill**

* * *

The sun was peaking in and out today, with pockets of rain throughout the course of the morning.

I sat in the school cafeteria across from Edward with our "lunch." He had his journal open, scribbling away, as I mindlessly poked at the piece of meatloaf on my tray. I looked up, studying him as his hand moved across the page at an alarming speed.

"You should be careful, you know," I whispered. "The humans might notice you're writing faster than people can type."

He chortled, but didn't look up from his paper.

It was a slow day at school, so I found myself observing Edward more than I normally would. "What do you write about?" I wondered aloud.

"Things," he answered, dismissively.

"What sort of things?" I pressed, but received no response. Naturally, the narcissist that I was, I grew curious if I would be mentioned in his journal. I leaned over the table to get a look. "Anything in there about me?"

He scoffed playfully, pulling the book closer to his chest. "You wish."

"Then why won't you let me see?" I asked reaching out for the book as he batted my hand away.

"Because I jot down my thoughts," Edward said. "_Private_ thoughts."

"You hear my _every_ thought," I pointed out. "_All the time._ Why can't I read some of yours?"

He gazed at me through narrowed eyes. "You know, lately I've found you to be more tolerable after falling in love, but I guess I spoke too soon. Why do you care about my thoughts?"

I stopped, looking away from him and focusing on the table. Suddenly I was embarrassed, and a bit defensive. "I don't. I guess I'm just bored." It had been several weeks since Emmett had called me an angel—several weeks since I'd realized the depth of my feelings for him, and a mere two weeks since the sensually charged exchange in the garage. My mouth scrunched together in irritation. Of course it wouldn't take a genius to realize I fancied Emmett, but Edward's ability offered more insight into my thoughts and emotions.

I saw his eyes flash up to me for a moment, with a small ounce of regret and apology. He had slipped, obviously. He'd never mentioned it out loud before, my being in love. "Sorry," he mumbled.

I shrugged indifferently, tapping my partially chewed pencil on the lunch table, eying the leather bound journal covetously.

"Go study something," he suggested, turning his attention back to the journal.

I drummed my fingers on the table for a moment, the sound irritating Edward as I caught him eying my fingers as he continued to scribble away. A corner of my lip turned up in amusement.

A light bulb turned on in my head, and I leaned in curiously. "Is there anything in there about Emmett?" Emmett had kept his distance, as usual. The "Good day, Miss Rosalie"'s came once in a while, but nothing had developed further. Edward wasn't surprised by my question, but was annoyed just the same.

He sighed, putting down his pen, and looking up at me. "Now, you know I won't give away anything to you when it comes to him."

"But why?" I demanded. _Don't you want to help me?_

"Not particularly, no."

My teeth ground together, frustrated. "Horrible!" I exclaimed.

""Pipe down, Rosalie." He checked the surrounding tables. Apparently, my outburst attracted the attention of a table of freshmen nearby. "You're acting like a spoiled child." He reached his hand out, placing it on my wrist. "You know that I don't like to get involved. I've kept thoughts to myself all my life."

"Yes, I know, I know. That only leads me to believe that you've written about Emmett and I, and don't want me to see it. Why can't you just tell me what you know and save us from any further misunderstandings?"

He put his hand back on top of his other. "You're forgetting I've had this ability for the last seventeen years. All my vampire life, I've had to deal with this. Private thoughts of others are not something I share freely. Not without cause, anyway."

I pursed my lips. "I think my heart is cause enough."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. It's not. If you want to know what he feels about you, you'll have to wait until he's ready to tell you."

My face lit up at his words. "_Feels _about me?"

Edward sighed, his face wary. He'd given way something, obviously.

"He _feels _something about me?" This was news. After our little exchange in the garage last month, Emmett steered clear of me. Apparently my scent drove him past safety and reason, and with much coaching from Edward and Carlisle, Emmett thought it best to stay away. If I got anything from him, it was just a small hello, and nothing more.

"I don't know," Edward replied, turning back to his journal, trying to sound clueless.

I studied his face as he avoided eye contact. He could lie to a human, but not a vampire, and certainly not to his only sister.

"Well, apparently there's something he needs to tell me 'when he's ready.' Why can't you just say it?"

He ignored me, still scribbling along. I lurched forward and snatched the book from under him. His pen left a long gash in the middle of the page he was writing on.

His brows furrowed, his hand stretching across the table. "Give it back."

I pulled the journal behind my back and sat against it in my chair. "Tell me."

"Give it _back_."

"Tell. Me. How. He. Feels."

I could see Edward plotting, but he couldn't figure out how to do whatever he wanted to do because we were in public. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Rose, if you don't—"

Whistling to cut off his threat, I folded my arms across my chest as I waited. "Maybe I can just _read_ what he's feeling." I reached for the book behind me, slowly taunting him.

"Fine, I'll tell you," he grumbled, defeated. "But not without my journal." He held his arm out with his palm up, wiggling his fingers.

"Fine," I groaned and handed it to him reluctantly.

He snatched it from my hand and placed it in his coat pocket, patting it securely against his chest.

I had to prompt him as he sat and folded his hands together in front of me. "So..."

"So… what?"

"Are you going to tell me?"

He deliberated for a moment. "There's nothing to tell."

"What do you _mean_?" I groaned, frustrated.

"I mean, he doesn't know. He's very confused. It's hard for him to concentrate on anything except for hunting."

I frowned. "Well, that isn't news."

"I'm sorry," he said simply. His face was smug. "That's all I have."

My eyes sparkled with fury, and he was amused. I was not. A snarl ripped through my throat, my teeth baring before him.

"Relax!" he exclaimed in a whisper, checking everyone around us. The same group of freshman I startled earlier had abruptly left their seats in hurry. "You're scaring away the underclassmen."

_Well, you leave me no choice_, I growled back, mentally.

He gritted his teeth. "Fine. If you want to know… he goes back and forth."

I leaned forward, completely drawn to what he was telling me. "Explain."

Edward sighed. "He thinks about you, too."

"He does?" My heart was anew with hope.

"Yes, he does, but—"

A bright smile illuminated my face at the thought. "Emmett thinks about me?"

"Yes, but Rose, it's not like that. He doesn't exactly see you in a romantic light. If he has, its mere glimpses, but his train of thought is inconsistent. It's constantly changing, never following one coherent path. He's having a hard time dealing with the fact that he'd hurt you that first day. That part is the only thing that keeps bothering him. He doesn't want a repeat of what happened, so he keeps his distance. Remorse is still too new for him to know how to deal with it."

That part I already knew, sort of.

Edward rolled his eyes at my thought before continuing. "He doesn't know how to deal with what he's feeling. I feel for the man. How can he do that, when he can't even think straight?"

I stared unseeingly at the tips of Edward's bronze hair. "I see."

"That's all I have," he said, his hands up in surrender. "Everything I know." He eyed me carefully. "Are we better now?"

I ignored the sarcasm in his last question. "Do _you_ know when he'll _know_?" I pressed.

"Rose," he chided.

I sighed. "I'm sorry! I won't ask again." I averted my eyes to the corner of the cafeteria, trying to calm myself. The frustration with the situation had me at my wit's end.

I felt my brother study me from across the table. "I know this is hard on you. I don't pretend that it isn't. I can't imagine being in love in this life, let alone with a newborn."

"No, you can't," I agreed. I was able to think clearly at the moment. "You know more, don't you?" I asked again, more calmly this time. Internally, I understood that he couldn't tell me. It wasn't his place to, and I had to respect him for that, no matter how reluctant I was.

"If you want my help, I can find another way to be supportive, but not like this. We have to respect his privacy," Edward urged.

My eyes flew down to my trey of stinky human food. I staked the fork through the lump of processed meat, spinning it around in its gravy. Emmett's face appeared in my head. The newborn love of my life.

"Just be patient with him," Edward advised. "If it's going to happen between you two, it's going to happen. Let the chips fall where they may, but allow that to happen when the time is right."

I bit my lip as he patted my hand. He retrieved it when he and I both looked down and realized what he was doing. We both laughed as we rose from our chairs and carried our trays to the trash. We prepared for the next class.

After school, I figured it best that I occupy myself with other activities. We were in the Volvo, nearing the busiest street in Appalachia. "Drop me off here," I told him.

"Downtown?" he asked. "What for?"

I gave him a mental vision of me carrying a load of bags. "I do shop at times," I said, my tone defensive. I didn't care to be home again where I'd be ignored by the lofty vampire that haunted my every thought.

Edward shook his head. "Not a good idea. I think the sun will come out soon."

"I have an umbrella. I seriously doubt the clouds will clear completely from the sky in all this rain."

"Suit yourself," he said wryly, slowing down to a stop along Main Street.

I stepped out, turning to poke my head into the car. "Please tell them I'll be home in a couple of hours."

He nodded once and jetted down the street.

I'd stopped by a few of the nice little shops. I found a lovely Victorian brooch at a vintage shop, perfect for a few dresses in my closet. I was at the counter paying for it when I noticed that the rain had indeed stopped. There were patches of sunlight filtering through the partially cloudy sky, making patterns on the pavement just outside the store.

"Drats," I muttered under my breath.

"Well isn't that a relief?" The old lady sighed behind the counter as she rang me up. "No more rain."

I smiled quickly, got my change, and left. I'm sure my artificial smile was obvious to her as I turned away.

I opened up my umbrella, trying to avoid the patches of sunlight, and hiding under its shade. At least with the possibility of rain, I wouldn't look like a total idiot carrying it over my head.

As I walked down the street, I passed by the local art and dance studio. I could see a young lady and her instructor spinning around. Another male, a young teenager, was outside posting flyers on the windows and doors of the building. I couldn't help but pause for a moment as I watched the grace in the instructor's movement. I picked up the move as I watched, my eyes absorbing every step and kickball change. They were doing the foxtrot. I knew I could practice it later at home with Carlisle. I could tell the lesson was about to end, they way they ended the last move.

My thoughts ran to where they always did recently—back to Emmett. How I would wish to dance with him one day, though part of me wasn't sure if he even knew how. I smiled a bit, remembering how comedic he had recently shown to be, despite his blood lust. He was a ham, a large dose of sun in my overcast existence, and the constant pang in my chest for him wouldn't let me forget that. I could imagine him taking my hand and pulling me in for a spin around a dance floor, and making me laugh for the rest of my life. The pang lay heavy where my heart was, knowing that at this point it was just a dream, and far from reality.

The studio door opened just then, and a familiar young lady stepped out. She was only a few inches shorter than me, with a heart shaped face, light brown hair, and decent blue eyes. I recognized her from one of my classes.

"Excuse me," the young lady said, almost running into me, though I'd heard her coming with my supernatural ears before she stepped out. "I'm so sorry."

"No problem," I replied, stepping out of her way, the instructor stepping out behind her. With that statement, a blast of fire ignited in my throat at the sudden proximity to the humans.

I watched her scurry to her car where her father waited for her in the driver's seat as the instructor checked on the young man who was still posting flyers on the studio's window.

"I'll see you next week," the instructor called after her, his eyes catching a glimpse of me as he waved at her goodbye.

"Bye Mr. Kent!" she said, waving with a smile. Her smile disappeared as her eyes took in that I was standing next to him. She looked… insecure.

I shrugged. I was used to making girls insecure. But suddenly, I realized her insecurities may have been founded, because I felt eyes on me.

"Hello," the instructor said. "May I help you?"

I shook my head quickly, motioning to leave. "Just thought I'd watch a bit. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," his kind voice insisted. "Leaving so soon?" I hadn't cared to look at him at that point, though I was aware that he'd cocked his head to the side.

"Yes, I have to get going." The small consistent flame of thirst, though not as large as when the young woman bumped into me, still smoldered low in my windpipes.

He quickly grabbed a flyer from the ones the young kid was posting on the window, stepping forward to hand it to me.

I took it with the hand that held the vintage shop bag.

"Something to do with your spare time, Miss," the instructor said as I took it from his hand.

I paused to read the flyer.

_Kent Ballroom Dance_

_A free dance lesson with the purchase of a series of 10 classes_

Dance lessons. As if I needed a full series. One class would make me a master. Vampires had the skill to analyze a move just from casual observance. We were able to replicate it with our own bodies within the next stanza of music.

"Thanks," I said, dismissively, not bothering to look up.

"It's fun, I promise," he urged. "You should sign up."

"Ah, maybe," I answered, indifferently.

"You seem to know how to move," he mused. "I can tell by the grace of your walk."

I paused once more, this time looking up at him. Normal human boy, I thought. I caught his mint gaze for a moment.

"You would be a great dancer," he mused. "It would be a fabulous time."

"I'm sure I would," I said, giving him a small grin, but started on my way again. I couldn't help but enhance my walk with a bit of a strut. I must admit, I enjoyed the attention.

"Funny little prop you have there," I heard the man call out after me.

I spun around to meet his gaze again. "I'm sorry?"

"That umbrella. The rain has stopped and the sun is out, yet you carry your umbrella over your head," he observed out loud.

"I was just being careful. The rain is so on-and-off today. Don't want my hair to ruin in the rain, or my fair skin to be tainted by the sun."

"Of course not," he teasingly agreed, walking toward me. "Who would want that?"

Who was this guy? I couldn't believe how seemingly charming he was. Or maybe it was the fact that I was so starved for attention by the one man I longed for, that this feeble human's flirtation was uncharacteristically welcomed.

"You're Doctor Cullen's daughter, correct?" he asked, stopping just a few feet from me. In fact it was more like two. A dangerously small distance of two feet.

My mouth pressed into a thin line at his question. This town was too small for its own good. People talk too much, and everyone knew everybody.

"The one and only," I answered, haughtily. Making sure to step in some shade from a building across the street, I let down the umbrella.

I heard his heart kick up in speed as he took in my looks, no longer shielded by the umbrella. I fought the smile that twitched at my lips. The reaction was typical. It didn't happen enough for me.

I could see him trying to collect himself. "The name is Kent," he said, holding out his hand, once composure found him. "Thomas Kent."

I stared at his hand—pliable, destructible. I couldn't take his hand when mine weren't gloved. My icy touch would surely alarm him. Besides, mine were full: the bag from the antique store and flyer in one hand, and my umbrella in the other.

"I'm sorry," I giggled, apologetically. "I'd shake your hand but mine are occupied at the moment."

"If you may, I can take your belongings," he offered, holding both hands out this time. "I'll help you take them to your automobile, if you'd allow me to escort you there."

Automobile. I laughed at myself internally. I was certainly in no need of a car. "I'll manage," I said, quickly.

"A name," he insisted, his eyes sparkling with interest, "and I'll let you go about your business."

_Hmm, yes, definitely flirting._ If he knew I was Carlisle's daughter, I was sure he at least knew my name already. I chuckled, despite myself. He was just that charming. "Rosalie," I answered.

"Rosalie… Cullen?"

"It's Hale, actually," I corrected him. "I kept my… biological parent's name." It wasn't that I didn't want to be a Cullen. I was, at heart. This had nothing to do with Carlisle, Esme, or Edward. My preference to my name was indicative of my preference to being human rather than vampire, and nothing more.

"I see," he nodded. "Miss Hale, so nice to meet you." His lips stretched from ear to ear, his heart beating a mile a minute. The smile was sincere, and caught me by surprise. "You should come and sign up for lessons. Maybe sign up for a trial? It's free."

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. It was a nice thought, but really didn't need it. What was the point of learning to dance when the partner I was pining for wasn't going to learn along side of me anyway?

Mr. Kent's face still held a sincere smile, with a pleading arch in his brow. Cute, but terribly foolish. "Pretty please?"

The way I saw it, there were two kinds of humans. The first was the smart kind, the ones who avoided us at all cost, giving into their natural instinct of self preservation. The other was the easily influenced kind— the kind that might be called stupid—that was attracted to us no matter the danger. That kind was usually the easier prey, unaware that they were completely hazardous to their own lives. You couldn't really blame them, though. We were designed to lure in our victim, made most attractive to the best tasting nourishment nature could provide.

This man was of the latter kind, standing so close to me as he conversed all too casually. And, as nature would have it, his blood smelled sweet and warm as apple pie to a young human girl.

I vaguely recognized that he was a good looking human: tall, dark hair, green eyes. I was more preoccupied with the pulse on his neck, just beneath the thin membrane of his skin. I saw a faint blue line of an artery, and venom accumulated just beneath my tongue. My throat became ablaze with thirst like it had when the young woman bumped into me, regardless of the fact that I'd hunted less then twelve hours ago.

"Anyway, I think you should at least consider it," this Thomas Kent continued, still on the subject of ballroom instruction. "I have a few students from your high school who enjoy it quite well. Like Maggie."

Maggie. I was sure he was referring to my classmate who had just left his studio. I wasn't sure of her name at the moment. The burn of my thirst was consuming too many of my thoughts. My mind wandered off, imagining pulling him by the arm into a nearby ally, leaning into him as if we were about to neck, sinking my teeth into his soft skin instead…

_No!_

I needed to excuse myself from this situation. _Now. _I felt the temperature change slightly, the sun hiding behind a thick layer of clouds again. _Perfect_, I thought to myself. _Now was my chance._ "Oh dear, do you have the time?" I asked suddenly, trying to keep the breathing through my mouth, rather than inhaling more of his delectable scent through my nose.

He twitched his arm so his sleeve would fall, turning his wrist to peer at his watch. "About quarter to five. Why?"

I popped my eyes wide in mock fear. "Oh, no! I must get going. Esme is expecting me home soon. I'm so late. Tardiness is not something she is fond of. " I rushed, throwing the flyer into the bag and hurrying down the street.

"Wait," I heard him call after me.

"Nice meeting you!" I yelled after myself, running around the corner so he wouldn't see where I was headed. Once I knew I wasn't within view of any humans, I propelled myself at superhuman speed, pushing myself on the balls of my feet. I couldn't stand a second longer around him without folding in to my weakness. His blood smelled too sweet.

I arrived at the house with my bag, stepping in and heading for my room. Emmett was in the corridor as I climbed the stairs.

"Hi," I said, nodding to him. It was an experiment. Every day was. I never knew what kind of mood he was in. Would he say hello? Would he ignore me? Would he call me "Miss Rosalie" again? I hated it, but at the same time, beggars can't be choosers. At the moment, I was not one to be picky about how I was addressed, so long as he addressed me at all.

He nodded back at me simply, but said nothing else. His eyes only flashed to me for a mere instant before focusing in the direction he was walking.

Well, at least he didn't ignore me. However, I'd be lying if I said I was satisfied with such a greeting.

I didn't miss how broad his chest looked in the shirt he was wearing. He was unbelievably sexy, and it took all of me not to touch myself at the thought of touching him. I remembered his back, the relief map of terrain that I desperately wanted to explore like I was one of the Spanish Conquistadors that I studied in my world history class. His thick shoulders, the band of muscles that encased his arms. The urge to indulge in him was just too much. I craved his body, just as much as his affection. Hell, I wanted his attention, at least.

I was a total mess.

Desires that were unfamiliar until now had awakened within me, and it wasn't proper for a lady such as myself to be having such thoughts. But what can you do if that's all you can think about? I tried to rationalize it to the fact that I was in love. It wasn't about pure lust with Emmett… it would never be. But it certainly was there.

I stepped into my room, shutting my door. I placed the bag and umbrella on my coffee table and plopped on my couch, lying against it in a very human way. All of my mortal habits were coming back to me, much like Carlisle had described about vampires falling in love. It made us more human.

I was definitely that at this moment. I twirled a lock of my golden hair around my finger, completely disappointed at the progress of my relationship with Emmett. I felt like we were at a standstill, and nothing was ever going to move us into the next step towards love.

_When will I ever have his attention again?_

* * *

The family sat at the dining table the next afternoon, playing a game of Monopoly. It was too sunny outside for us to go anywhere. Edward and I had to play hooky from school.

I was interested to see how this game would fair, considering the fact that I hardly spent time in a room with Emmett. I was excited, actually. It was an opportunity to get to know him better—an opportunity for him to get to know me as well.

We all chose our pieces. Carlisle was the top hat, Esme the iron, and Emmett the battleship. Edward and I fought over the car piece. He won, chuckling to himself that I ended up with the thimble.

It tried my best not to be too resentful as I played. In truth, it didn't matter what your piece was. It was how you played the game. Boy, did I play it well.

I had great luck, obtaining several properties, and lots of money. So did Emmett and Esme. Carlisle and Edward were not as fortunate. I was also a little giddy at the chance to show Emmett that I could handle myself at the game. I was in the lead, collecting so many properties, with the most money. I eyed Edward smugly.

He rolled his eyes.

It was my turn again. I drew my card, and I frowned as soon as I read it. "Can I draw another?"

"No, that's not how the game works," Edward chastised. His lip turned up at one corner in a lopsided, annoying grin, seeing the card in my mind.

"But I want another."

"Why? What does the card say?" Esme asked.

"Can I just_ please_ have another?" I asked through my teeth, my temper flaring.

"Wait, let me see," Emmett said, reaching far across the table, and taking the card from my hand.

I stared at him blankly. I'd never felt him that close to me before. And he was finally paying attention to me, to my card anyway, and a wave of warmth crashed in my chest.

I watched intently as he lifted the card to his face, though I instantly regretted it as he prepared to read it out loud. "Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do _not_ collect $200."

Edward was full of hysterics, slapping his hand on the table. Esme scolded him to calm down, but she and Carlisle were trying to stifle their own laughter.

Emmett clucked his tongue on the side of his mouth. "Tough luck, Miss Rosalie." A maddening smirk cracked across his lips as his crimson gaze, the gaze I'd hankered after for weeks now, fixed on me.

I frowned. Naturally, the attention I finally received from him was not the exact attention I had in mind.

"Carlisle," Edward gasped, his eyes widening. "_Carlisle,_ the door."

It was only within microseconds that we heard it. It was a sputter of an engine… an approaching vehicle. Between the layers of sound approaching, I detected a familiar sound—a small pitter patter of a beating heart. A _human_ heart. It was a delivery truck, I assumed.

It all happened too quickly. In a blur of movement, Emmett charged for the door, knocking Esme and I out of the way with a powerful fling of his elbow. The tip of his elbow made a blow to the side of my body, right into my ribcage. I heard a tiny crack of vampire flesh right before I hit the floor. I gasped as the pain of vampire flesh hit my own, too strong in its newborn strength.

Beside me, Esme was on her back, stunned, but unharmed. We all heard a truck being put into park.

In the next second Emmett was down on his back, Edward and Carlisle holding him against the marble surface of the kitchen floor. He was so strong that they had to lean into their arms with most of their weight to pin him down.

I felt a gust of wind. Esme had already sprung lightly to her feet to step out of the door and tend to the delivery man.

Carlisle grabbed a bag to shove in Emmett's mouth, muffling the sound of his snarls as they fought to keep him down.

I lifted my blouse to inspect his blow on my side, iron flesh cracked in rays from the point where I was hit. It was slightly tender, but the cracks were already mending itself. Realizing Emmett might see it and blame himself yet again, I shoved my blouse back down, tucking it into my skirt.

My heart fell as I looked up and realized I was too late. His eyes were just where mine were, and he'd seen me inspect my wound. A wound that I was sure would affect him in a negative way, and put even more distance between us.

His eyes rose to meet mine in the next moment. Regret and frustration marred his features, and his snarling ceased. His scarlet eyes were full of apologies before they squeezed shut, his head turning to face the ceiling as his fists pounded down on the floor in aggravation. His expression was full of chagrin, and he was mumbling to himself unintelligibly.

"He's gone," Esme said, coming through the door with a package in her hand. "I'm terribly sorry, everyone. I didn't realize that this was being delivered today." She turned to me, reaching her hand. "Rosalie, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said springing lightly to me feet. I took Esme's hand for only a moment. I didn't want to put a spotlight on my injury that was already becoming nonexistent.

Still under Carlisle and Edward's restraint, Emmett wrestled his way out of their hold. He stepped out of the window and hopped onto the wall of the house.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

I heard footsteps on the roof.

"I'll handle this," Carlisle said, following Emmett and scaling the exterior wall.

Curious, I asked Esme to walk the grounds with me in an attempt to watch them from where we strolled. We sauntered about the property as I watched him on the roof with Carlisle. He sat as Carlisle stood next to him. They were staring at the same point of the horizon, and I could hear their voices like soft murmurs. I fought hard to give them their privacy, but I desperately wanted to hear the conversation.

Esme and I tried to make small talk, but it was awkward. She could sense the worry, the tension I had concerning Emmett, but she also sensed that I didn't want to discuss it. She steered me to her rose garden instead, sharing her plan of adding a row of English roses on the eastern side. I nodded mechanically to her plan, and smiled when I needed to. I was too consumed with what was happening on our roof to concentrate on anything else. For a moment, I turned away to fix my attention on Esme's small lesson on the difference between the species of roses. When I returned my focus to the house, I noticed the roof was now vacant.

Carlisle and Edward were in the garage as I stepped into the house. Emmett sat in the living room, staring at the coffee table.

I approached him slowly. I wanted to make sure he was all right, and also to assure him that I was fine.

His head popped up at my approach, and he stared me for a while before he finally spoke. "Miss Rosalie, I never meant to—"

"Don't apologize, really." I said, waving a hand in front of me. "I'm all healed. It wasn't your fault. You didn't mean to do it."

He grunted in protest. "You don't _know _that."

"Yes," I insisted. "Yes, I do."

"No, you _don't._ You don't understand at all. I would give anything to taste that man's blood. Anything. Even if it meant hurting you and Esme if you were in my way, I was determined to get him."

"Emmett, it's okay," I said. "I'm healed."

He looked at me, frustrated.

"I was a newborn not too long ago. I know the burn. I know the desire for it. I do." I took a courageous step forward.

Still seated, he scooted in the other direction. "Just stay away from me, will you?" Emmett mumbled, his head falling in his hands.

I stood for an immeasurable moment, dumbfounded at what he just asked of me. My ears were playing tricks on me. They had to be. _He didn't just ask me that._

"Go _away_," he growled, feeling my lingering presence.

Horrified at his request, I ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I thanked the stars that vampires didn't have tears because I knew mine would threaten to spill in front of him, and I refused to let him see me cry.

I tried to contain my sobs, because I knew the family would hear. I tried to control my thoughts, my trembling fingers finding the bag from the antique shop, stowing away the box that contained the brooch I bought just the day before. I came across the flyer that the nice Mr. Kent had given me, tucking it under a notebook in my bookshelf unthinkingly. I felt my lip trembling, another sob escaping me.

I could hear someone pacing, right outside of my room. I hoped it was Emmett, coming to take back what he said. But the scent wasn't wood and spice. It was still sweet, though, and moments later I recognized it.

Edward.

He was deliberating at my door, wondering if he should knock, I suppose.

"What do you want?" I asked in a whisper.

The feet stopped pacing.

Curiosity claimed me for a moment. I opened the door, peering through the crack to look at him.

His tawny gaze was sympathetic, and he stood in my doorway in silence.

I frowned at him. "If you're here to make things worse—"

But suddenly Edward stepped forward, working his way through my door. He stared at me for just an instant before he wrapped his arms around me.

Shocked at such a gesture, I realized this might be his way of helping me—the help I'd been asking him for at lunch yesterday. I stood rigid for a moment before I relaxed in his arms, leaning against his shoulder as my sobs consumed me. No, he wasn't about to give away Emmett's deepest thoughts and wishes, but deep inside I knew he'd never give mine away either.

I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder, as if to affirm my thoughts. I was correct. He held me silently, until my crying ceased, and didn't leave me that afternoon until I dismissed him.

Sometimes, I was thankful for my brother.

* * *

As devastating as that was, I had to get up and plant my feet firmly on the ground every day. And every day after.

It didn't matter if my head was in the clouds, or the gutter.

I avoided Emmett for close to a week, still horrified that he'd ordered me away. However, my heart hadn't been the same since the first moment I'd known him. I was softened, and around him, it was natural for me to be forgiving, gentle even. He brought out the best in me—the best in spoiled little me. I looked in myself for the patience to stand by his decisions, though each passing day it grew more challenging. My expectations grew with time, but nothing else seemed to change.

Part of me wanted to kill him with kindness. He couldn't be angry with me if I treated him with respect and tolerance. I watched as he kept a steady bubble of physical space between us—never closer than four feet. I respected that, and kept the same distance. That didn't stop me from stealing glances at him, hoping to catch him looking at me. To my detriment, he never did.

My plan of killing him with kindness worked eventually. He slowly came around to greeting me again, and I wondered if he was touched that I'd given him the space he needed. I hoped that I showed that I trusted his judgment.

He never stuck around me long enough to have a conversation, however. If he did, it was with the rest of the family, with him in the opposite corner of the room.

Within a few weeks, about two months into his stay with us, they permitted me to hunt with him, as long as Carlisle or Edward was present. That didn't help in the conversation department, though you would think it would.

I t was first hunt I was officially allowed to attend, as the one time where Emmett spoke of his family was a one-time thing that wasn't official. Carlisle was our supervisor for this trip.

"Miss Rosalie's coming along?" he asked, surprise in his deep tone.

"Yes," Carlisle replied. He studied Emmett's expression, as did I. "Is that a problem?"

Emmett didn't seem to mind, just mildly shocked. "No, that's fine by me," he said, shrugging indifferently.

I frowned. Couldn't he at least _pretend_ to be excited?

"Ready?" Carlisle asked us both.

"Sure," we both said nodding to him.

I paused as I turned to Emmett, and he nodded to me with a small smile. It was the first smile I'd seen in weeks. I lost the ability to use my legs for a moment before I realized he and Carlisle were already out the window.

"Are you comin', Miss Rosalie?" I heard Emmett call.

My mood brightened as I heard him speak more than two words in my direction. He was in good spirits! I ran gleefully after them.

We leaped trees as we scanned the plains of nearby Kentucky. There was conversation flowing, but unfortunately nothing I could contribute to. Carlisle and he were "chewing the fat"—as Emmett would call it—about a football game that they had listened to on the radio the other day.

I must admit the conversation went in one ear and out the other with me, as sports were never my forte. All I knew was that my human father was a fan of the New York Giants, as was Carlisle. I knew to keep my mouth shut when I couldn't add value to the conversation. That and, I was never too sure how he'd react if I tried to speak to him. I had to protect my feelings.

Emmett favored the Pittsburg Pirates, but was a Giants fan, too. I was in slight awe of that fact. My father would have loved him. That made me smile.

They spoke praises about a guy named Danowski, and then joked about certain players from opposing team that was named after a big bird—the Eagles, maybe? His laugh made his eyes wrinkle in the cutest way, his plump lips stretching from ear to ear. His dimples dented each cheek perfectly. I fought a dreamy sigh at the sight. He was still laughing at some joke about that lousy player from the "big bird" team when we caught the scent of a family of bears.

We were just a couple of trees over, and as a general rule, Carlisle had set that the youngest vampire was to always feed first as they would be the most out of control in thirst.

I decided to observe Emmett. Even with myself as a vampire, and things such as hunting would normally be an every day thing, I found him fascinating. I watched as he coiled to spring, and the laughter and friendliness of the man I loved was wiped from his face. He was a hunter at that moment. His face scowled, lips curled behind his teeth, with the tendons in his jaw hardening—ferocious, petrifying even.

He landed gracefully, which was a funny sight, given his brawn. He merely tapped the shoulder of the largest bear to get its attention before he sank his teeth into his neck. It was like he was just leaning in to whisper in the animal's ear; it was so easy. The bear snarled in pain before gurgling, his throat obviously flooding with blood that would soon drain out of him. Emmett wiggled his head, shaking the bear, sinking his teeth further into the bear's flesh, a snarl bubbling in his throat. You could hear the wet crack of the spine in its neck as Emmett's mouth crushed it further.

It was a vast improvement from his very first hunt. He spilled no blood. He was graceful, efficient, and almost in control. It wasn't a surprise to me now that Carlisle finally allowed me to come along.

We both followed, descending from the tree and grabbing the cubs.

I took the nearest cub to Emmett as it tried to claw at me. I inhaled, drawing in the sweet scent of carnivore blood, turning away from Emmett. I clutched the cub by its paw and simply lifted it up to my face, my teeth gripping it by its side and draining him from there.

I hadn't realized I was taking back steps in all my feeding, until I tripped over something, and suddenly a large snarl came from behind me.

I spun around, confused, but on instinct, crouched defensively.

Emmett stood, livid. The half-drained mass of fur still lying on the ground beside his feet. He glowered at me, lips stained with blood, his crimson coated teeth displaying behind his curled, trembling lips.

It took a moment to realize I'd stepped on Emmett's heel. "S-sorry," I stuttered, recoiling from his massive form. Fear gripped me as my mind recollected his large hand around my neck that first day.

Carlisle was there immediately. "Emmett, calm down," he ordered, his hand raised, palm forward. "She didn't mean it." He moved with caution towards Emmett. "Rose, get back," he instructed in a calm manner, over his shoulder, not taking his eyes from Emmett.

Emmett snarled but said nothing, his hands in fists, trembling with rage. A newborn's temper was unbelievably short.

Carlisle stared at Emmett intently, as he continued glaring at me. "You need to calm down, young man."

Emmett snarled once more, shaking, his glower turning to Carlisle. He was breathing heavily, ready to fight for whatever reason his unstable mind had conjured up.

I retreated from them in one step, ever so gradually, not taking my eyes off of either man.

"Son, please," Carlisle spoke, his voice authoritative. "Control yourself. Rosalie didn't mean it."

Emmett's ruby eyes flickered to me, and back to Carlisle, and then they shut. The trembling slowly dissipated from his body, stilling in his limbs. His lips fell back over his teeth, and the snarling softened.

"Emmett?" Carlisle asked, his voice concerned.

Emmett's eyes were still shut. His mouth turned down into a frown. "I'm sorry," he breathed.

"It's all right, Emmett," Carlisle assured him, walking cautiously to his son, and patted him on the back. "Good job."

His eyes flew open and he turned to Carlisle, looking at him incredulously.

"You stopped yourself," my father offered, encouragingly, trying to placate the now remorseful newborn.

Carlisle was right though. Emmett had gained control. It was progress. Maybe not progress towards us, but progress, all the same. As soon as the control was in place, I was sure we could find a way to put love before us, so I had to look at this positively.

Carlisle turned to me, meeting my gaze. "Rosalie, please don't take your eyes off of Emmett until he's completed feeding. Hunting is a risk. Know that for next time."

I nodded. I liked the idea of _next time_.

"Now let's finish our meal and head on home."

Emmett let out an exasperated sigh before he picked up the bear again.

I made no sound as I finished off the cub. None of us did. The mood was dead, good job or not.

I caught Emmett look at me from the corner of his eye as he finished his meal, averting his eyes whenever I looked over at him.

_Maybe he believed Carlisle_, I thought. Or maybe I just hoped. _He did a good job, and controlled himself before anyone was hurt. Maybe now he could trust himself to be close to me._

But as it was, I was dead wrong.

During our retreat home, he didn't look at me anymore, not even when I glanced at him when he wasn't expecting my gaze. His eyes stayed forward, fixed on our path.

When we returned home that evening, he locked himself in his room. Clearly, he didn't agree with Carlisle's reassurance of progress. He kept himself locked in there until the next day when he went hunting with Edward.

When he returned, I pretended that I was on my way downstairs on sheer coincidence, to catch him as he was coming in. I was hopeful that maybe some time with his brother would give him a new perspective on things. It was to no avail. He ended up bypassing me in the hall, with not so much as a glance in my direction.

He headed straight for his room again, and after hearing his door shut, I paused. My hand rested on the wall of the corridor, and I took a deep breath as I stared at my feet. We had reverted back, and I'd have to work to get him to greet me again.

Defeated, I flew downstairs, sat at the piano, and absentmindedly played some Chopin.

My jaw clenched, molars grinding together.

I could feel my patience wavering.

* * *

**Endnotes:**


	11. Chapter 10: The Chase

**Chapter Specific Warning: No lemons this chapter, but sex is implied. **

Original beta: Ledybug.

**Updated & Extended 10/01/2010**

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV

**Playlist:**  
Garbage - Stupid Girl  
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold  
Adele - Chasing Pavements

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Chase**

* * *

It'd been weeks since the delivery man incident. Weeks since I was officially permitted with Emmett and a male family member. The family slowly trained him to hunt around areas with human scent. He needed to practice his restraint if he was ever going to be around people. Eventually he grew to almost ignore it, and would let Carlisle or Edward stop him should he lose control. Though the bloodlust made him delusional enough to fight Carlisle and Edward if he wanted to give into it, he now had the sense to let them win and succeed in stopping him.

It was because of this that all hunts with Emmett were chaperoned. Carlisle was very protective of his wife's safety. He was also most concerned about my own security, since everyone knew my weakness for Emmett, which often lead to a loss of common sense and a desire to be dangerously close to him.

It wasn't until lately that I found myself unappreciative of the chaperoning. My mind reasoned that Emmett's indifference was due to the fact that we weren't alone, and, given the chance we'd have time to ourselves, he'd finally show his affection. Out of respect for Carlisle, I didn't question it, no matter how annoyed I was.

It was difficult for me to imagine that someone could find me so repugnant. I was desired by many. Well, there was Edward, but I was convinced by now that he'd taken a secret vow of celibacy along with the monks back in Chicago. Surely, something had to give. I still couldn't fathom that Emmett didn't want me as well.

It was a nippy autumn evening that we ran clear into North Carolina. Leaves of gold, amber, and a fiery orange were flying up off the ground as we zoomed through the thick forests.

Another hunt with Emmett. And Edward.

I frowned.

Edward was, of course, in the lead. Emmett and I were tailing him. Though, as instructed by Carlisle, I always kept myself a step behind Emmett to watch him closely. Not that I minded the view of Emmett's shapely rear, but I wouldn't mind knowing he was watching me as he ran as well.

We had caught the smell of mountain lions in the air, so rare in this part of the country, that Edward was not about to let the chance go by. He loved lions, the movements of pursuit ironically resembling the same creature he hunted. He'd tracked the same herd for a week now, trying to find out exactly their location. Today we had a great

Emmett, of course, was game for this hunt. All of us could smell several of them; there were plenty of them to share amongst the three of us.

We could see a highway less than half of a mile to our left, running parallel to our path. Emmett's pace began to slow as we all caught a whiff of humans. Through the trees, I could spot a couple on the road with a broke down vehicle.

Edward's pace slowed as well, watching Emmett's reaction.

I turned to Emmett, his face pushing with determination to bypass such a temptation. His nose flared. His muscles tensed. A hiss bubbled up his throat, his lips baring those pearly white, razor sharp teeth of his. His hands balled to fists, and he held them close to his legs, coming to a pause.

"Try not to scent them as prey," Edward instructed, slowly. He kept his distance, his attentive eye on Emmett. "Ignore their smell. Hold your breath if you have to."

I held my breath at Edward's command as well, hoping we'd be successful. We knew we were taking risks by keeping Emmett this close to humans, but how else would he learn to control his thirst?

This was the part where Emmett would usually lose his mind, and take anyone down who got in his way. It wouldn't last long though, as his endurance was winning. He'd eventually give into Edward or Carlisle's help. Someone may get hurt in the process, but it wasn't like any of us couldn't mend our injuries within minutes.

It was only a few moments before sense came to him in a flash. It was like a switch went off in his head. I watched as Emmett's arms swung forward at full force. His strides towards the mountains and away from the humans, though slower than before, had lengthened. This was the training we were hoping to give him… the hope that he could push through the tempting call of human blood, and do what he was told.

And like the family member we all hoped he'd be, he continued on his run towards the lions instead.

I let out a sigh of relief, Edward's sigh a mirror sound of my own. _Good job, brother_, I had to offer him, though he couldn't respond with Emmett running between us.

Operation avoid stranded woman and man, successful.

Crisis averted.

It wasn't but ten of minutes before we reached the mountains, and another couple of minutes before we found the heard of lions. Seven of them, to be exact. The venom in my mouth began to accumulate at the thought.

All three of as scaled nearby trees, close enough so we watch the cats as well as each other.

I drew the warm scent of blood in the air through my nose and into my dead lungs, my throat filling with a blaze of thirst that I was completely ready to sate. And at that moment, I was a predator.

Edward held his hand down, his hand ready to count us off. Wordlessly, we agreed to a simultaneous assault on our prey.

I caught sight of a good sized feline that was ready to bolt out of the scene. I took one leap and landed right before the little monster. It swung its paws at me, catching a few locks of my hair and pulling it out of my bun. I swore outloud, a hiss falling from my lips. It snapped its teeth at me but I swerved faster than it could move, and by then I'd had my own teeth in its shoulder, my canines and incisors puncturing its skin. The scarlet warmth dripped and I gulped, ignoring the gritty dirt nestled on its fur. I shut my eyes at the taste of his blood instead. I hadn't had a carnivore in a few weeks.

As I opened my eyes to discard the animal's dead body, I caught Emmett to my right switching his watchful eyes from my direction as he finished off his cougar.

_Well, well, well. Was he watching me just now?_ I struggled to hide my grin.

He cleared his throat and continued with his drink, and I continued doing away with the carcass.

I caught Edward rolling his eyes behind Emmett before turning back into his favorite meal. The largest lion twitched in his grasp, the life draining from it with every second that past. I scowled at Edward for a fraction of a second for his immature reaction to my train of thought, but I couldn't blame him too much. I knew being the third wheel wasn't exactly a walk in the park all too well. I was more the third wheel in Emmett and Edward's budding brotherhood than Edward was in my nonexistent relationship with Emmett.

Still, I refused to believe that Emmett could actually resist me, even in his lust for blood. There had to be a human desire left in him somewhere, as he demonstrated that one night in the garage. I kept sneaking glances at him to see if I'd catch him watching me again on our trail home.

No matter how much I wished for it, it didn't happen.

I returned to my room to fix my hair, as the darn cat had scratched a few large locks out of place. As I decided to pin it up, my fingers searched in the top drawer of my vanity for my favorite jeweled hairpin, when I came across a folded piece of paper.

I lifted it to see that it was the flyer from that one day in town a few weeks back.

_Kent Ballroom Dance_

_A free dance lesson with the purchase of a series of 10 classes_

I was immediately reminded of the starry mint green eyes and hopeful smile of the instructor—the dashing young man who became a much needed boost to my faltering ego.

I shook my head to myself. _I didn't need dance lessons,_ I thought. I could learn by watching once. Immortal brains and muscles just worked that way.

But as I considered it… considered the extra time I'd spend away from home, away from the man with the dimples that made me long for the seemingly impossible, the idea became better and better. Dance lessons were not a necessity, but it might give me a much needed past time.

And just my luck… I could hear the Bentley a mile down the road, with its characteristic purr of an engine. I knew what I'd do. I'd offer to tune Carlisle's car, and then ask for permission to take these classes.

I watched my lip curl in a sly grin in my mirror before I headed down the stairs, flyer in hand and straight to the garage.

* * *

It was the afternoon, during the third month of Emmett's stay with us, a few hours after school had ended. Carlisle had the best news for me in a long time. He stood facing me in our yard, his lean six-foot figure in a grey suit and tie.

"I think it's time for you to go hunting together," he said, his tone serious, "without us."

_Hunting alone with Emmett? _My heart leaped out of my chest. I tried to control the sudden widening of my eyes in front of Carlisle. I was beaming, but trying my best not to show it. Edward and Emmett stood quite close to us and I had to act collected. I had been waiting for this day for so long, I hardly could believe it had finally arrived.

Pulling me aside into the opposite end of the lawn, Carlisle set his hands firmly on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye. It was an effort to keep out of Emmett's hearing range. "I want you to make sure you follow him, and not the other way around. Understand me?"

I nodded, my body absolutely bursting with excitement. "Anything you say, Carlisle," I just about exclaimed.

"Rose, please listen. I know how you feel about him, and it is true; he has improved with his restraint and control, but please remember, Rose, he is still in his first year. You must never forget to exercise caution. Always keep him within eyesight and never get too close to him before feeding."

"Keep him within sight, but keep my distance. Got it," I replied, in my best-assured voice.

A hint of a smile crossed Carlisle's lips. "Now go, before I change my mind," he taunted, playfully.

I smiled at him as he winked at me and leaped across the lawn to where Emmett stood talking to Edward and Esme.

Edward and Esme wished us both luck and stepped back towards the house to watch us.

Emmett stood a few feet ahead of me, turned sideways and looking to me to signal his start. I nodded once keeping my expression blank and strong. Under the observation of my family I felt conscious and hid my excitement from them as best I can.

He dashed into the woods towards the south and I followed right behind him. We both glided smoothly through the trees and brush.

The run felt almost ironic and fitting at the same time. I had always felt that I was chasing after this man since the day we met. This was not the way I ever pictured the circumstance once love finally entered my life. I always thought I was the one to be pursued and not the other way around. I frowned slightly at the reality of the situation as it set in my mind.

He took long strides in his run. Luckily I had long legs, but I was barely able to keep up. There were small patches of snow on the ground from last night's fall, and the moonlight filtering through the canopy of evergreens and leafless deciduous branches that lead our trail. Ironically, my thoughts ran through my mind just as fast as we did.

Did he know his effects on me? Was he aware of how much I had changed, or how much I have gone out of my way to help him? Did he know that I was being uncharacteristically accommodating to his newborn situation? Did he realize how I felt? That I was unfamiliarly forgiving and even-tempered about his indifference with me? Would he ever feel the same way? Could he ever love me the way I did him?

He was such a complicated creature. To comprehend his behavior was obstinate. He was warm one minute and cold the next—more often cold than warm. One day he'd laugh, and the next five days he'd mope around grumpily until he satiated his thirst. He could never fully laugh or smile in my presence either; not since the day he told me I was an angel. Carlisle told me it was because I was a constant reminder of how much he hurt the family that first day, and regret was a very new emotion for him. He couldn't quite accept what he had done to me, and even in his newborn state, found a way to continually punish himself for it. Just my luck; it was the only thing that remained consistent with him.

_But just wait one second_. It now dawned on me that this was my first hunt with Emmett, _by ourselves._ At this moment I realized I was staring completely at his backside as I followed him in our run: a firm, shapely pair of well-defined flesh orbs that expanded and contracted with each of his strides. Lustful thoughts entered my brain but I bit them back as more critical thoughts appended them. I could take advantage of this opportunity to get him to notice me further. I could. I should.

_I will._

A small plan formulated in my mind, although I was not sure it would work, especially since I never had to work to get a man's attention before. I usually have to fight to _not_ attract any attention at all.

Casually, during our run, I had undone two buttons from the top of my shirt, exposing my cleavage. My mission today: to look ultimately sexy, but appear to exert no effort in it. In other words, I was going for a very quiet, yet sneaky seduction. I may not get him to make any advances towards me, but I at least wanted him to take heed in my appearance.

That night at the garage was electrifying. My arousal elicited such a reaction from him so early on in his vampire "childhood." I did know that it ended with a menacing growl that could have been proven dangerous, but I still saw the remnants of human sexual desire in him and thus it rendered me full of hope. Regrettably, he had not since shown an ounce of that reaction to me since_–over two months of nothing._ I was steadfast to get that reaction again, even if I had to secretly scheme it out of him.

I heard him grumble as he caught a whiff of today's selection of prey: bobcat.

This plan could not get any better. Bobcats had the perfect claws to do some believable damage to many things, including clothing.

I followed his lead up the mountain onto a steep incline as he pounced on two of the three cats lying around one another, leaving the third for me. I leaped onto the cat, making a special effort to bend forward in his direction as I did so. How could he miss my low-buttoned blouse and the lovely cleavage it now displayed?

_Look at me, Emmett_, I thought towards him as if he could hear my mind as clearly as our dear little brother. _Look at me, Goddamn it. I know you want to._

To my dismay, it did not capture his attention, since he was preoccupied with his kill at the moment. He tore and fought with the cats gleefully in a teasing manner, warming himself up before he went in for the kill.

I frowned. _How could a preview of the world's best cleavage go unnoticed?_

His struggle was short lived with both cats. In no time he had their dead bodies both sprawled out along the dirt and rock of the incline. He picked the one furthest from me, bringing it to his mouth and drinking from it slowly.

Meanwhile, my hunt had a special strategy today.

The cat swung at me ferociously and I calculated the angle at which his paw approached my leg. I twisted around just the right amount so that a claw captured my skirt's side seam, and an audible tear echoed into the distance as the cat yanked away.

The sound was such that it caught Emmett's attention as he drank the blood of his own prey. His eyes turned in my direction and I saw them travel up and down my leg.

_Perfect._ It had torn my skirt up my leg way passed a decent length, revealing my smooth toned thigh. I smiled at myself inwardly. _He couldn't resist this, even if he wanted to._

Quickly averting his vision from me, he glanced back down at his kill and sucked more greedily into the cat.

I frowned. This guy was like a steel wall.

To my detriment, it seemed that the uncommon exposure of my skin did not daunt him in any way. He routinely disposed of the carcasses, unaffected and silent.

I huffed in annoyance. _Maybe he likes men_, I thought, bitterness pouring in my gut.

Observing his body language carefully, I bent over slowly once again to pick up the cat from the ground, letting my cleavage give him an even better show in my shirt than the first time.

As I did so, he turned his head in my direction; I caught his sight briefly before he dropped his prey.

I had a moment of excitement when his eyes passed my chest, but suddenly he looked straight ahead turning his gaze from me once more. My self-esteem wavered.

To add insult to injury, in my observation, he let out a yawn of unmistakable boredom. _He yawned? Do vampires even yawn?_

My temper began to rise and boil to the surface at his blatant disinterest. I had stood by close to fourteen weeks silently as his indifference to me forged ahead, waiting tolerantly for our relationship to evolve, but to no avail. My patience hung dangling on the edge of a building.

I easily grabbed hold of the cat's neck and snapped it in half, biting down into its neck and feeding myself of its warm blood. Hastily I disposed of its carcass as well.

He stood almost tapping his foot as I did so, like he was waiting for me to finish impatiently.

_The nerve! How unbelievably frustrating_! My plan was ruined; my efforts, conquered. I sighed in defeat, but my pride held me to keep it inside.

"Ready to go?" I asked reluctantly, still forcing a look of serenity on my face. I wanted to appear unaffected: as if there was no foolish plan in place to seduce his eyes with my body that ended in utter failure.

"Yes," he replied flatly, staring at the view of valleys, trees, and snow patched green from where we stood on the mountain, unseeing.

The venom in my veins boiled but I continued to act just as cold as he, blocking any display of my disappointment. We began our hustle down the incline and through the mountains silently.

Emmett suddenly seized in his run in response to a breeze coming in from the west. I recognized the trail of bears in the air. It was his favorite, and he had a strange fixation on them.

"You're still thirsty?" I asked, with slight irritation in my voice. I had involuntarily slipped, knowing fairly well that he could not resist a fight with a bear anymore than I could resist a kiss from his lips if he ever so kindly offered it.

"Do you mind, Miss Rosalie?" he asked, his back to me.

My eyes shut as the man I loved addressed me so formally and without affection for the hundredth time over. I thought briefly to try to correct him as I normally do, but I knew he would not listen.

"No," I sighed. "Run along. I'll be right behind you." I couldn't deny him of what he needed. Thirst was his number one priority. I shook my head at myself as he took off. Love seemed to make me so weak.

I let him lead by a few minutes knowing he will probably take his time wrestling with the bear and torturing it before he would take it down. I've observed his obsession quite a few times on a hunt with Carlisle or Edward. It was like he sought retribution for what happened to him before I found him.

I caught up with him and witnessed his fight with the helpless creature, which was quite unnecessary considering I knew Emmett could take him down in seconds if he wanted. This time it was I who stood tapping my foot, waiting for him to finish impatiently.

Only partially maiming the bear without killing it completely, Emmett bent it sideways and took a large bite into its neck to draw out its blood. He drained the life of the animal, as it still squirmed and twitched down to its last drop of blood.

Finally Emmett walked gracefully towards me. "I'm ready to go home now, Miss Rosalie," he told me calmly, oddly putting a concerted effort in keeping his eyes on mine.

"Of course," I answered flatly and in a flash we began running again towards Virginia.

My poise was calm and collected, but inside was still furious. Venom continually rolled in a consistent boil through my veins. _He yawned at my cleavage!_

Concentrating on his reaction on the mountain I was livid. I was completely discouraged and acutely embittered.

I kept my speed with him as we dashed home parallel to one another. My mind was probably so angry that it resulted in playing tricks on me. As we ran, I thought I saw him glance several times at my indecently exposed leg and chest, but his expression remained blank. In turn, I dismissed those glances as wishful figments of my imagination. For sure, he was not going to look at me that way anytime soon.

We reached the house in a mere thirteen minutes. I had successfully hid my anger, my pride refusing to show my failure in any plan, foolish or not.

Edward and Carlisle were out front with a football in hand.

"Hey Emmett," Edward called over to us. "Want to toss a football around?"

Emmett nodded in delight and ran over to Edward enthusiastically.

I stared incredulously at him as he headed over to Edward and Carlisle. The contrast of his behavior towards them and me was infuriating.

Watching this I suddenly lost my composure. I stalked angrily into the house, slamming the door behind me. I felt Esme's eyes drink in a full vision of myself before I had retreated to my room.

_That can't be good._

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Carlisle ask Edward from outside with my preternatural hearing.

"I'll handle this," Esme responded, knowing that they would hear her too.

_Oh dear._

I heard her dance up the stairs, followed by a slight tap at the door. "Rose, it's me, Esme."

_Oh no. Here goes nothing. "_Come in," I said, nonchalantly.

"Do you have a minute?" she asked stepping in slowly

"Of course I do, Esme. What is it you needed?"

"I thought I'd talk to you; see how you're doing. Chit-chat, woman to woman."

"Oh?" _Hmm, this should be interesting. _I took a deep breath. "Uh. Sure, what's on your mind?" I tried my best to be casual and feign innocence.

She sat on the closest corner of the couch to me, smoothing out her red and white polka-dotted dress as I turned my chair of my vanity to face her. Her caramel hair was in a low bun today, hair parted to the left, with finger-waved strands pressed against her forehead in today's fashion. She tilted her head, the corners of her mouth turning slightly into a smile.

"How is everything going?"

"Wonderful, Mother. Everything is going great," I lied, holding my composure as well as a vampire could.

Her face turned serious, yet still gentle. "Rose, I want you to know I'm here for you if you ever needed anything. Advice, someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on—anything," she said softly.

"Oh Esme, I know," I said, taking my other hand and placing it on top of hers for a moment before putting it back on my lap.

"This must be hard for you, the waiting. I could only imagine enduring months on perseverance alone, hoping things will come around," she said, sympathy lacing her topaz eyes.

"Um… I …don't really follow," I tried to say sweetly, but it came out flat. I was going to act this out and deny my feelings for him. I wasn't completely ready to speak about them out loud.

She didn't answer right way, taking a long moment to study my face. She brushed a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. "There comes a special time in a woman's life when she finds someone, and falls in love," she began, taking my hand in both of hers and placing them firmly on her lap.

"Oh… well, I'm not… in love," I said shaking my head, trying to put on my best effort towards an untainted facial expression. I felt her squeeze my hand with hers.

She chuckled and shook her head looking down and then raising her eyes to face me again. "Rose, take it from a woman who's been there. Take it from one who is_ still_ there. I have watched you everyday since his arrival, and I know you have feelings for him. It's in the way you watch him, the way you look at him, the way you act around him."

"Esme…" I was prepared to argue and deny my feelings, but her brows arched as if to challenge me. Her topaz eyes, however, were still tender and caring. They were the most perceptive eyes in the family. Although Edward had the gift of mind reading, Esme seemed, at least to me, to have a slight special sense for feelings and love. How could I compete with that?

"Honey, love makes you do crazy things. You lose your head, your sense. It even changes you."

I stared at her and continued to feign ignorance. I knew exactly what she was leading to.

"You do not need to unbutton your blouse, honey, or even tear your skirt," she alleged, slyly. "Men do not need that encouragement towards your body. They notice plenty on their own. Trust me. Especially a newborn tha—"

"What? I didn't unbutton my blouse," I retorted, immediately regretting it. I know she meant well in this talk but I couldn't help but be on the defensive. _How did she know that? Who was she now, Edward? _"And the_ cat_ tore my skirt, so—"

"Rose," she uttered sternly, giving me the side eye, her lips pressed into a hard line.

"Well I… thought that maybe—"I began but couldn't finish. It was rather embarrassing to admit, let alone say out loud.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to explain. I understand your want for him to notice you. But you also don't need to go through extra measures to seduce him. He will notice how beautiful and sexy you are when he is ready—and believe me, that time _will_ come."

My eyes grew wide at the accusation, although true as it might be. "I—I wasn't trying to se—" I just couldn't say it.

"So you weren't trying to get his attention by revealing yourself to him?" she asked me.

If I could, my face would flush a scarlet red. I looked down at the floor unable to meet Esme's eyes. Somehow I couldn't deny it anymore. I couldn't lie to Esme either, being so good and pure of heart.

"Not to mention, you can put yourself into so much danger, you know that? His common sense and human desires are not fully developed yet, nor is his self-control."

I sighed lightly. Hearing this over and over from my family was exhausting.

She stood me up on my feet.

"Where are we going?"

"Just trust me sweetheart. You need this," she said, leading me by my hand to my closet.

She turned me to face my full-length mirror that hung behind the door in my closet, brushing my tendrils back so they fell behind my shoulders. "Honey, look at you. Gorgeous, tall, someone could mistake you for a statue of a Greek goddess."

I gave a small, but forced smile looking at myself in the mirror with Esme behind me. It was blatantly obvious that my confidence level has deteriorated since Emmett's arrival into our family. I couldn't even enjoy my own reflection anymore.

"Most of all," Esme continued, "you have a persistence, a drive, a tenacity, and not to mention so much intelligence. You keep it silent and use it as a weapon when it serves you the most. You know how much I love that about you? Do you know how amazing you are, as a person? You have any idea how strong of a woman you are?"

I let out a breathy, sarcastic chuckle. "Strong? You see me as strong? I've become mush since he's showed up. I can't do anything right. I don't even look at myself the same anymore."

"Rose, maybe you have changed because of him but all I've seen are _good changes_. You have learned humility and patience because of him. You respect his space. You have become humbled. Honestly, I think it's what you needed. However strong woman you were before, it all makes you a better person now."

I could almost see the truth in her speech. "I'm not sure."

"I totally empathize with your situation, Rose. I really do. You have been so strong through this whole ordeal. Do you know how much I admire your patience with him? You never lack in understanding for him, and it's been three months. If I had to spend three months around Carlisle while he constantly ignored me I don't know if I could handle that. You have managed to put someone else's needs before your own. You have learned to love, honey, and that is no easy thing. Don't you see that? Do you understand how amazing you are?"

Touched by her words, I smiled back at her in the mirror. It was all I could do in response. Sincerity and compassion was her strong suit, and I could not deny her of anything she told me at that moment. She saw me better than any mother could. She_ saw_ me, and believed in me.

"Now what man could resist a beautiful woman like you if you were so willing to accept him?"

I wanted to believe her; I really did, but doubt dominated my heart. "But will _he_ accept _me_?" I asked, my protective walls now falling around me, vulnerable desperation mixed into my voice.

"Give him time, child. Let him work out his struggles, and see for himself what I see in you. Eventually, he will love you, too," she murmured. "You've done so well already, giving him the space he needs so far. He just needs more time. Take it from someone on the other side, Rosalie."

My eyes lit up at her last statement. _That was right, she was the newborn in her relationship with Carlisle_. I was able to truly smile finally, my eyebrows curling in a look of shame and gratitude mixed in one.

"That's right, I totally understand him," she said, adjusting my shirt as we both looked in the mirror. "You don't know how many times I had almost physically torn your father apart during my first year. I wasn't even nearly as out of control as Emmett, either. Just continue to give him the space and the understanding he needs. I promise you, honey, that in the end you will be rewarded." She gave me a light peck on the cheek before turning me to face her.

"More time, okay?" she asked.

I nodded my head firmly. "More time," I repeated, with confidence.

"He will love you, I am certain," she whispered, placing a small kiss on my forehead. "A man would be crazy not to."

My mother gave me a hug and then motioned towards the door.

"Esme?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you," I breathed, humbly. "You don't know how much that meant to me."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she smiled. She turned around to step out.

"And Esme?"

She chuckled and turned back to me. "Yes, dear?"

"I love you, _Mom_," I said, with the utmost sincerity that my voice can carry.

Her eyes seemed to glisten at my words. "I love you too, Rosalie." With that she danced away and down the stairs back to Carlisle.

Full of hope and a newfound confidence, I turned to the mirror in my vanity and began to brush my hair.

_More patience. More time._

_I can do this._

_I have to._

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**Endnotes:**

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**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

And if you like the story and want to discuss that or anything further, please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-twilght on twilighted dot net


	12. Chapter 11: The Uninvited

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: Violence and assault in this chapter. Sex is implied. Do not read if any of this if you are sensitive to any of those issues**.

Big thanks to my beta, Beth, aka Ledybug.

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV

******Playlist:**

Madonna – Material Girl

Alanis Morrisette – Uninvited

Pink – U + Ur Hand

Toad the Wet Sprocket – Hold Her Down

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Chapter 10: The Uninvited

It had been a month since my first hunt alone with Emmett. I had since grown accustom to his constant indifference, and no longer did I try to get him to pay heed to me. He will notice me in time as sure as Esme said he would. I was positive that if I stood by him and everything he went through, he would some day appreciate all of my efforts. I tried my best not to take any fit personally, but my challenge with Emmett was my sensitivity to everything he did. When it came to him, my feelings were a fragile mess.

In the past two weeks there had been reports of human deaths caused by large animals in the paper—but the markings were very characteristically vampire killings. It had crossed Carlisle and Edward's mind that it could have been Emmett, but the probability was low since he was constantly monitored by one of us at all times. He had no chance to escape and kill on his own.

Today we were in Washington D.C., only a mere couple of hours drive away from Appalachia. Carlisle and Esme wanted to take me shopping at Woodward and Lorthrop for a new dress, as they'd be shopping for their own outfits for a special occasion. Being such a revered doctor, Carlisle had quite a large amity with the local people and often received invitations to many social events and lavish parties. He and Esme decided to take me along this time to a local formal dance held annually by one of the town's wealthier families— the Appalachia Winter Formal.

We spent most of the car ride discussing the possibilities of the recent murders, effectively avoiding the subject of their reason to ask me to come along on this trip and to the party. I knew before they could even tell me; they wanted me give me something to preoccupy my thoughts with. Although I grew to be at peace with Emmett's indifference and was no longer angry, I was still in a constant state of melancholy. My parents' concern was always out of love, but also very transparent to me, though I never made them aware that I knew of their generous motives.

I smiled as I stepped into Woodies, as it reeked of expensive designer perfume. It was crowded with customers being that it was the weekend. I rode the escalator to the women's department on the second floor. I ran my hand through the dresses along the racks, feeling the fabrics. A plethora of formal garments were displayed, hanging gracefully from hangers, calling at me for my purchasing pleasure. Shopping was exhilarating to me, and fashion was my best friend. The scent of silk, organza, charmeuse, and satin brightened my spirits immediately.

I began to make some choices from the racks: different gowns and lovely dresses by luxury designers from all over the world. My body was suitable for anything, and I was simply able to fit in things directly off the rack, no alterations needed. After trying on a few dresses that didn't fit the right look I was searching for, I stood perusing the dresses in another section of the store.

"Find anything you like?" I heard a familiar deep voice ask me from behind.

"Yes, everything," I answered, turning to Carlisle with a small grin, "but I'm having difficulty finding the one that I absolutely _love_."

Carlisle returned my grin, smiling warmly as he stood there with a new suit in hand. "How interesting, your word choice at this moment, dear Rosalie."

I sighed. "Is this the time for _your_ talk about love now, too, Carlisle?" I teased him, arching my perfect brow.

He chuckled switching the new suit he carried folded over one arm to the other.

I had to ask to see what he had on his arm. I was always excited to see new merchandise within the family, dressing them up mentally like living dolls. Early on in my human life when I would see _Dr. Cullen_—as I knew him back in Rochester— and his family, I was irritated with them because they were much more beautiful than I could ever be. I laugh at that now, and these days I actually carry a devotion to the beauty that my new family possessed. Dressing up with them and prancing around caused quite the spectacle, and I absolutely drowned in the pleasure and power of our family's aesthetic qualities.

After admiring his perfectly chosen black double-breasted tuxedo, Carlisle cleared his throat. "So Rosalie, I do not pretend to be oblivious to the fact that you know we brought you here to brighten your mood. I cannot stand to see you so regularly downhearted."

So he did notice. I gave small forced side-smile and looked down, nodding my head as I looked away. I pushed some lace dresses by Madeleine Vionnet aside as I pretended to search the rack in front of me, my other hand finding a lock of hair to twirl around my fingers. I knew unlike my tender moment with Esme last month, I could not deny my feelings any longer. It would be wasted effort as they shared so much with each other. No doubt would Carlisle know exactly what was said in that conversation.

"Love can be many things, sweetheart, but easy is not one of them," Carlisle mused.

"Tell me about it," I breathed out heavily, looking up at him.

"Obviously a bit more than carrying a torch for someone is it not?" he smiled.

I grinned at the fact that he knew exactly how I was feeling. "I've become a big old sap because of him," I sighed.

"It is no walk in the park… to be cully to a newborn." Carlisle seemed to stare into the distance as he said that statement, probably reliving his first year with Esme in his mind. His eyes danced happily during his moment of reflection, in obvious adoration for his wife. He shook himself out of his dream and looked at me thoughtfully.

"Esme as a newborn; I wish I could have seen that. Did you even have half the problems that I do with Emmett?"

"I had problems, yes. She was erratic and moody as well—maybe not as much as Emmett, but still very unstable and somewhat dangerous. I just had to wait. I had eventually developed a tolerance for her; it came as naturally as I fell in love with her. That doesn't mean that it came without challenge, complexity, or heartache. Many days I would wonder if she'd ever return my affection, but I was full of determination and patience. In the end, it was the greatest trouble I have ever endured, like a victory over the largest epic war."

Carlisle watched as a glum expression took over my face. If there was any victory at the end of this journey I still have yet to catch a glimpse of it in the horizon.

"He also cares about you, Rosalie. There is no hesitation in my mind or my heart of this as I observe his actions around you."

"Really? He sure has a funny way of showing it," I muttered sarcastically.

"And you don't think it is out of his concern for you that he keeps his distance from you? That he would rather not harm you like he has done in the past? Rosalie, he may not show fondness towards you that you desire from him, but he clearly takes heed in your safety and well being, and places it above everything else—aside from thirst, of course."

Turning back habitually to the rack of dresses, I furrowed my brows as I cocked my head to the side, trying to absorb Carlisle's words. _Could he be right?_ I pushed each hanger one by one with my fingers distractedly.

"He could very well have feelings for you right at this moment, but have not the faintest idea what to do with them," Carlisle continued, watching me paw a beaded gown. "Newborns are just as mystified as they are temperamental. He will love you in due time, if he does not already."

I nodded looking back up at Carlisle, giving him a hopeful smile, and he returned it with one of his own. He placed a firm, comforting free hand on my shoulder. It was a far stretch to even believe that Emmett loved me at all right now, but hearing it from Carlisle gave me some trust in the possibility.

"We just want you to be happy, Rosalie. Esme and I—even Edward—we _all_ do. You deserve happiness." He smiled warmly as I breathed a sigh of relief in response. "All will reveal itself in due course, my dear."

"There you are!" a musical voice exclaimed from down the aisle. I whipped around to see Esme approaching us gracefully with an armful of yellow satin. Excitement shined in her golden eyes as she neared us. "I think I found something absolutely exquisite!"

"Really, Esme? You'll have to show me this new _exquisite_ piece of fabric you've chosen! Buttercup will look great on you."

"Oh, well Rosalie, my dear, this dress," she said holding it up, "is for _you_. It's a Jean Patou."

I took in the gown that flowed gracefully to the floor in what looked like a sweeping train, my mouth hanging open. I was speechless at its loveliness. Patou was a genius French designer who marketed to wealthy American women, and I was beyond ecstatic wear an original. The Great Depression was taking a toll on luxury fashion markets, leaving gems like this easier to find for families such as ours.

"Esme, that is marvelous," Carlisle gushed. "Well… I had a thought, maybe when we get home tonight the whole family should go hunting together and have some fun, don't you agree?"

"Oh Carlisle that's a wonderful idea, don't you think so Rosalie?" Esme turned to me as she held the gown above head level between us.

"I think…" I began, pausing to feel the luscious shiny satin with my fingers, "this gown is amazing." I squealed like a little girl at a candy store, leaving Carlisle and Esme to laugh at my reaction.

It was sleeveless with a V-neck, and the back dipped low in an elegant and classy way. The front was ankle length with a sweeping train in the back. Crystal beading adorned the two-inch thick straps, and a cluster of the same beads made a brooch below the center of the bust. It was exactly what I was looking for.

"Simply exquisite, like you just said," I raved, feasting my sight all over the gorgeous item of clothing. "And if you'd like to go hunting with the whole family, it would be my pleasure." I did not keep my eye off the gown as I spoke.

We made our purchases after I tried on the gown that Esme chosen, so flawlessly meeting every expectation I had with the look I wanted for the formal. I even bought a matching pair of low-heeled gold dancing shoes and a cream fur-lined evening shawl to match.

I sat gleefully in the back seat of the Bentley as I thought about the new outfit. I forgot how some minor things could make me so happy for at least a moment, and I had to be grateful to my parents for thinking of taking me on this trip. We then made a turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue and paid a visit to the Capital Building, the Washington Monument, and the White House before returning home. The structures were just as impressive and majestic as the photos I saw in books and magazines.

Later that day we started on our journey for prey as a family. We went towards the north, which put us into the northwestern point of West Virginia. We spotted a large herd of deer, beginning our blurred chase with the herd as they went flying for their lives. Even with Emmett's cold shoulder, the presence of the rest of the family eased the any tension with me. All of us had a merry old time chatting and laughing about memories as we hunted and pounced on the wildlife absentmindedly. We all lead them into the nearest open field in the forest, Emmett and I landing our prey on the opposite end of the clearing from the rest of the family.

"Someone's here," I heard Edward say from across the paddock, stiffening with alertness.

We all froze as we heard the patter of footsteps coming our way, so soft that it almost sounded like it was in my imagination. Only one species could be so furtive.

"Vampires?" Esme asked Edward, receiving a confirming nod in response.

Carlisle, Esme, and Edward quickly finished their prey before straightening up for our rapidly approaching visitors.

Emmett and I stayed where we were, only about twenty feet from the others, but not in plain sight. I knew Emmett was not going to let go of his catch, needing to drink whatever we had on hand was a priority for him.

Within seconds came four blurs from the northeast that morphed into a quad of stylish nomadic vampires with eyes as red as Emmett's when he was first changed. They appeared in front of Carlisle, Esme and Edward, all faces serene except for the one who stood in the forefront with a friendly smile.

Although I've heard my family speak of them often, it was the first for me to ever witness nomads in the flesh. My speedy vampire mind was able to assess their appearances within a second from across the field where Emmett and I still drank the blood of our kill.

The front man was clearly the leader, his long sandy blond hair in a ponytail secured under a fedora hat, and clad in a black Oxford suit with white pinstripes. He donned a rather loud red and white patterned tie with a matching red hanky, setting his crimson eyes off with a bang. He was approximately the same build as Edward's, only he was 5'11". He looked around Carlisle's age, maybe younger, no older than 25 when changed, but definitely older than 22.

He stood with his mate, a tall slender woman in a black and amber flapper style dress and short blond hair peaking in curls out of her mustard cloche hat. She was cute, I guess. She looked frozen at about twenty years old, definitely scrawny compared to me. She stood about 5'6" with a very slender frame— skinny, making my figure look full if I were to stand next to her.

Behind them were two men, one a stocky 5'9" muscular guy with short medium ash brown hair, looking even older than the leader. Maybe frozen at 27 or 28, I thought. He looked curious but calm, in a navy Zoot suit, his pants with wide lapels that tapered towards his ankle and long matching coat. On his head sat a Derby Bowler hat with a single blue and white feather. Definitely a look I did not favor but to each his own, I guess.

The other was the tallest of them all at 6"1'with super shiny, straight, blue-black hair pulled into a ponytail as well, but tucked and hidden in his shirt. He sported a black felt driving cap hung low right above his fierce blood-shaded eyes. He stood out the most out of all of them even though his suit was a much more understated plain solid black, as something about him seemed simultaneously awkward and tense as his eyes were immediately on Esme. His alabaster skin sported a slightly olive undertone, unlike the rest, and probably about 19 when changed.

"Hello, my fellow brothers," the leader called towards them. "We were heading south but my friend here caught the scent of our kind so we decided to extend our greetings." His voice was smooth and carried a very faint French accent.

"Good afternoon," Carlisle said, tipping his hat to them as they did the same.

"We hadn't the slightest idea that there was more of our kind here in the area."

"Well yes, we uphold a permanent residence nearby."

"Is that so?" the man asked, the information peaking his curiosity. As a nomad they are meant to drift from place to place wondering aimlessly for human kill while keeping the secret. Certainly our lifestyle would be a new concept to them. "Fascinating. I presume with eyes the color of yours; your family hunts other species as well?"

"Yes, you are correct."

"Unbelievable," he breathed, astonished. His eyes took a quick glance at the carcasses of deer. The others' eyes were wide at the answers Carlisle gave. Surely this was nothing they had ever known existed.

As Emmett and I completed draining our kill, we both sprinted over to stand behind our family, facing the newcomers.

"This explains much," Carlisle mused. "It seems you've caused quite a ruckus in this area with your hunting excursions."

"Ah yes," the man sighed glancing over quickly at the dark haired companion before turning back to Carlisle. "We apologize. My newborn here has not completely gained control and acclimated himself to this lifestyle so perfectly just yet. He is nearing completion of his first year in about a month, but there is still a lot of work to be done regarding him," he explained, gesturing to the creepy dark haired young man.

This clarified the reason why he stood out so much.

"I see. Well, my name is Carlisle," he said, holding his hand out to the leader. They shook hands.

"I am Claude," he responded. "This is my lovely Seraphine, and that over there is Sherman and Viktor." I quickly picked up that the Zoot Suit man was Sherman, leaving the strange guy to be Viktor.

"This is my family. My wife, Esme, and my children: Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett."

"Hello," Esme greeted them with a sincere grin. Carlisle's arm slithered through her arms and wrapped securely around his torso.

I nodded politely, standing as still as a statue with my face serene, but I felt ill at ease as I sensed Viktor's blood red eyes appraise me from head to toe.

Edward stood tense, nodding his head a fraction of a degree very stiffly at our new guests as he tipped his hat leisurely.

Emmett also nodded his head towards them, his chin down. He peered at them with his rust-colored eyes through a veil of his dark lashes peaking from under the rim of his own driver's cap. If I wasn't mistaken, it seemed he stood with his chest erect and jutting forward, making a point to flaunt his Herculean frame to our guests, a smirk playing on his face.

"You couldn't possibly live solely off of animal blood. That is impossible," the one named Viktor scoffed, his voice with a heavy foreign accent that I could not place.

Sherman laughed, amused by the statement. "How does that work exactly? Surely you don't just ignore your thirst and go prancing around acting human?" he asked mockingly.

"In point of fact, we do exactly that," Carlisle chided. "We learn to suppress and control our thirst, thus allowing us to live in peace with humans. That is how we manage to live permanently in one dwelling. And to make it a point, we all were humans once. It is not impossible to actually possess compassion for the species."

"Truly spellbinding," Claude considered in absolute bewilderment. "May we see this… _dwelling_ of yours? I have never witnessed such a thing. I think we could all learn from this, could we not?" he asked looking back at the others.

"As long as we make it quick," the woman chirped. The hair in the back of my neck stood up at the grating shrilling sound of her French-accented voice.

We spent most of the evening trading stories with our new acquaintances. We considered playing baseball with the new guests but here was no storm coming in, so we knew it was out of the question. They were all enthralled by our lifestyle, eyes grazing over our lavish home disbelievingly. I think it may have rendered Claude speechless, and possibly considering becoming vegetarian himself. Viktor snarled at the idea immediately, leaving the rest to chuckle at his obduracy.

They left in the wee hours of the morning, as Seraphine eventually vocalized her protest to stay any longer. They were on their way to Dallas as Claude had friends in the South. After their departure, the family convened outside discussing our guests while Emmett bounced a basketball around the hard top section of our estate.

"That went well," Carlisle thought. "You can never make too many friends. It was rather odd though that they could be such a large coven as nomads. That is quite rare. What is your take on them, Edward?"

It was always a question to ask him, given his gift. Edward seemed to nod without an ounce of enthusiasm. "Rare indeed. Claude is impressive himself. He created each one of them and began his own coven. Very odd for wondering nomads to stick together in such a large group, but apparently he was part of some strange army of newborns in the South trained poorly—a survivor of a Volturi annihilation. They feasted on humans with no discrepancy, and the Volturi came and wiped them out. Apparently not all were killed. From his thoughts it looked like it took place during the confederacy. He is trying to do it the right way now, following law."

"Is that so? The mid-1800s. That must be why I never heard about it. Do you think they will stay a coven?" Carlisle mused.

"I give them a decade tops before one of the two other males break away. That Viktor has an acute sense of smell—some sort of enhanced ability. He is the one that detected us on our hunt today."

"A heightened sense of smell. Now that is a first. What a remarkable gift he has then," Carlisle marveled.

"Eh, even so, I do not trust that man," Edward said.

"How come?" Carlisle questioned.

"Still too young in his vampire life to be levelheaded about his decisions, yet mature enough to possess human desires—only his desires cloud his reasoning."

Carlisle tilted his head to the side at Edward's explanation confused.

"He had eyes for Esme, and then when Rose showed up, he turned a lustful eye at her," Edward explained further. "I did not like his thoughts."

"That's disgusting," I spewed, as a shiver ran down my spine. I looked over to Emmett who was still bouncing the basketball and shooting it into the hoop, not a care in the world across his pretty face. I suddenly felt disappointed as I figured him to react to this information with jealousy, but I guess that was too much for me to expect out of him.

"I see," Carlisle breathed. "Do you think they will return?"

"I didn't see it in their mind that they will. They looked set on a departure for Texas this evening."

"Well that is a relief then," Esme concluded, taking Carlisle's hand in hers.

We all nodded in agreement except for Emmett who was running and leaping at preternatural speed, still shooting free throws into the basketball hoop from various spots across our estate.

The next day after school it was my turn to hunt with Emmett. Everything went as usual—us heading northwest, and him finding a bear. Was I the least bit shocked? Not quite.

Today, he still remained indifferent, but not so cold. He was actually in a great mood, especially finding a good-sized bear to play with. In an effort to salvage his pricey threads, Emmett carefully removed his cap, suspenders, and button down shirt, hanging them on a branch of a near by tree.

A stunned and entranced reaction took over as the image of his bare chest hit my eyes once more. His large frame should be against the law. Shoulders and arms so chiseled should be illegal. I wondered suddenly what they would feel like cloaked around my body. I took in that he was once again shirtless in my presence, and the sensation traveled down my body and straight to my now suddenly damp panties. My bodily reaction to him was so natural yet so out of control.

As for me, I needed to hunt myself because my eye sockets were once again turning that dark purple that I so despised as a vampire. Though I hunted yesterday, the fawn was much too small to eliminate the flaw under my eyes. I knew Emmett would not be up to sharing his beloved kill.

Leaving him to tend to his ostentatious fight with the vulnerable black bear, I searched for other prey in the area. I could not be in too close proximity to him while the scent of my arousal still lingered in the air. He was too hazardous in his hunting mindset.

I heard a pack of deer nearby and followed the trail, launching myself effortlessly onto two who stood near one another. I marveled on how skillful that move was, killing two deer with one swift action.

It was the perfect place for me to obtain my kill. Though thirty feet from Emmett, I could still spot him through the trees as he wrestled and taunted his obsession.

I had barely begun to drink the blood out of the first, with Emmett's bare chest still on my mind. This wasn't helping me to eliminate my stimulation. I continued to bear down on my concentration, draining the dear further of its warm crimson nectar.

Within seconds I heard a soft landing of stealthy feet behind me. Too soft for any human, yet too distinct to be any other animal than that which I was. _Vampire_, I thought to myself. The scent was none that I recognized, nor was it the cinnamon cedar goodness that Emmett carried with him.

"Well hello there," a strange, accented voice greeted me from behind. It was gruff and unfamiliar.

I jumped, spinning around swiftly to see whom it was, my lips curled back into a hiss of defense. I had dropped the deer in my hand mid-drain.

There Viktor stood, his arms crossed against his chest, weight shifted onto one leg. His crimson eyes ran up and down, gaping at me from head to toe in a disgustingly obscene manner.

I could not hide my grimace in response. "Viktor," I gagged, unenthused. I relaxed from my defenses, but still remained on edge as his eyes surveyed my body.

He stepped forward, adjusting himself in his pants as he did so.

I stepped back apprehensively, repulsed by his previous action, the growing lewd expression on his face. He was so revolting.

"What's a pretty young dame like yourself doing all alone here in the woods?"

"I was hunting with Emmett," I replied, slightly agitated.

"Who? Oh the big one? Where is he?"

"A few feet from here." I did not give away his exact coordinates, effectively keeping my eyes from where Emmett struggled with the bear. Something told me I shouldn't.

"Fascinating that you live off animal blood. I cannot imagine how to exercise such… discipline… in _any_ of my desires," he murmured, eyeing me suspiciously.

I stepped back once again. I detested his eyes, and I instinctively was becoming defensive once more.

His eyes narrowed and his head cocked to the side. "It's a shame that you lust after your… _brother_… when you could be with someone who actually _wants_ you."

"Excuse me? I don't lust after him," I retorted, my lips slowly curling back behind my teeth. My temper began to shorten as the venom in my veins began to bubble and boil.

He stepped closer smelling the air around me, his face just inches from mine. "I beg to differ, sweetheart. The air does not lie."

I was abashed for a moment, but then I knew I had no time to be embarrassed by his statement. I stepped back from him, a small hiss starting to form in my throat.

"He's so young. Too young to appreciate how positively… _splendid_ you are."

"Not much younger than you," I barked, irritated. "I thought you were on your way home," I stated flatly, trying to sway the conversation elsewhere.

"I _was_," he answered dispassionately, "but then I couldn't ignore that scent of honeysuckle-like incitement that only a vampire as lovely as yourself could produce… so I followed it here… and now, _here we are_."

A pang resided in my stomach as I realized that my arousal lead him here.

"A scent so sweet and floral such as your own… like roses," he continued to whisper, sniffing the air, "a thousand times magnified while _in heat._" He opened his eyes slowly again, peering at me through his heavy lidded gaze.

"Where are your friends?" I asked, my voice cracking, giving away the alarmed state I was in.

"They're long gone, sweetheart." He took several steps forward, closing the distance between us. He reached one hand out to touch me.

I flinched back in response and leaped five feet away. "_Don't_ touch me."

"Finicky, we are," he stated, materializing in front of me.

He reached to grab my hair but I caught his hand before he could with supernatural speed. "I said, _do not_ touch me," I hissed, my chest heaving in defensive alert.

"Oh, don't be so testy," he snorted, suddenly grabbing my shoulder with his other hand and pulling me against him. "I wonder if you taste as good as you smell."

His breath was foul as he whispered to me, and like a knee-jerk reaction I raised my fist to his face, with a loud crash into his jaw.

He recoiled and took a step back, snarling in response as he rubbed his jaw, eyeing me with his fiery intense stare.

I started to turn to run but his hand caught my arm and his iron grip twisted me back around to face him.

"Feisty little thing, aren't you?"

I sucked up all the venomous saliva from the back of my throat I spit in his face.

He took one swipe across his face to dry it with his free arm, and then quickly slapped me with his backhand across my cheek.

I gasped but turned back to him only to find his fist heading straight for my head and I ducked rapid enough for him to miss.

"You will pay for that you little streetwalker," he growled, grabbing me by my neck and squeezing.

I growled at him, as his grip, although strong, wasn't nearly as strong as Emmett's hand. I shoved my knee upward with great force, aiming for his groin.

He let out a huff in pain, stepping back and letting me go for just a second to cup his area with his hands before lunging at me as I tried to make a quick run for it again.

He fell on top of me, both of his hands holding my wrists against the ground above head in brute strength, his weight on my body and preventing me from escaping. He grumbled and sneered at me, his crimson eyes furious and crazy. I kept my legs shut and thanked God I was wearing trousers today as I struggled beneath him. I realized then that I couldn't get myself out of this mess without the help of someone else.

My mind was able to process many things in a matter of seconds. I turned my head in order to search in Emmett's direction, but I was suddenly overcome by panic and apprehension. All that remained in that clearing was the abandoned carcass of the bear. I suddenly grew frantic, feeling alone and abandoned, reliving my last human moments once again but now as a vampire. There was no sign of him my peripheral vision, the surrounding area eerily silent except for the sound of my panting in struggle and Viktor's growls.

Emmett was nowhere in sight.

A newborn stranger was assaulting me… and I had lost my Emmett.

* * *

Endnotes

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**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in on the Twilighted Forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight/Vanity and Patience.


	13. Chapter 12: Reluctant Hero

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: Violence and assault in this chapter. Sex is implied. Do not read if any of this if you are sensitive to any of those issues**.

Twilighted Beta: texbelle

Big thanks to my betas, Beth, aka Ledybug, and Lisa, aka cfmom.

All Chapters are Rosalie's POV

**Playlist:  
**Pantera – F***ing Hostile  
Coheed and Cambria – Wake Up (Acoustic Version)  
Keri Hilson Ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo – Knock You Down  
Five for Fighting – Superman  
Adele – Make You Feel My Love  
Dean Martin/Elvis Presley/Chris Isaak – Blue Moon

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Chapter 11: Reluctant Hero

The orange glow of the setting sun lined the unforgivable cloud-speckled sky, which now seemed to stare down at me, complacent and unhelpful. The uninviting bumpy surface beneath me was cold, slick and covered with snow, rocks, and dirt. Sticks and leaves were poking through my attire and tearing the fabric of my favorite silk blouse as I fought the demon attacking me. Sheer terror and panic resonated deep within my soul as everything around me seemed to spin in chaotic disarray, my limbs reactively trembling beyond control.

Like a dog, Viktor snaked his foul tongue out of his mouth and ran it from my neck to my ear in one long stroke. I quivered in disgust, squirming and struggling underneath him to be free of his weight and the tight hold he had on my wrists. In theory, he was still stronger than most vampires even though his first year was closing in 0n him. I was not strong enough to get this newborn off of me.

_Newborn._ At the term, Emmett's face invaded my mind again in seconds. Where was he? I was in a panic that he was nowhere to be seen. I had to find a way to get out of this and began to resent that Emmett was not around to help. Could he not hear my struggle? Surely this man would be match for him. Did he not care to rescue me?

My mind could not linger anymore on a single thought. I refused to let this happen to me another time. After the occurrence of that dreadful night in Rochester, my self-preservation was one of my strongest assets. My mind was fast at work again as I searched for another tactic to get this man off of me, and then I found it. I saw that I was able to push my head up from my neck to curl inwards, making a mental calculation of my next move. In preternatural speed, I opened my mouth as wide as I could and leaned in to take a large chunk of his flesh from his neck. With my blade sharp teeth, I sunk deep into his neck until I shut my jaw, tearing the large piece off rapidly. A loud screeching sound of the tearing iron skin echoed in the distance. I growled loudly, spitting the vile flesh several feet to the side.

"You bitch!" he screamed in serious aching pain. He let go of my wrists, grabbing his neck.

At this point, I was able to kick him swiftly in his crotch and wiggle my way out from under him, scrambling to my feet and running toward the forest. Even as I fled at my fastest speed, I could still sense him trailing behind me.

Jumping onto me once again, his weight caused me to crash onto the rocks and leaves of the forest floor. He flipped me over with preternatural speed, and with his newborn strength pinned me once again against the ground.

"No!" I cried. "Get the hell off of me!"

He moved both of my wrists under one of his large hands and with his free hand punched me in the nose. Before I had time to even react to his blow to my nose, his hand furiously clawed at my face.

I screamed the center of my face and nose growing numb, the feel of his short nails digging into my flesh.

Within seconds, however, Viktor's head was abruptly lifted from me—an action I found out of place in his fight against me. I looked passed his wretched devil face to find the cause of his sudden distance from me, and my heart leaped out of my chest as a large and familiar body materialized above us.

_Emmett. _

He stood growling, his silhouette shaking angrily with the orange sunlight behind him as his large hand pulled Victor up by his ponytail. "I believe the lady said she doesn't want you," he snarled. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Emmett threw Viktor several feet away. Viktor landed with a thunderous thud on his back on the other side of the clearing.

My dead heart seemed to flutter, and my body and mind were instantly at ease. I gasped in relief, watching Emmett come to my rescue. I suddenly felt foolish for doubting him. My hand subconsciously covered my cheek, checking my already healing skin of its scratches left by Viktor's nails

Emmett looked at me, his expression unreadable, as I lay on the ground for a fraction of a second. Then, he immediately turned his head back towards Viktor who had flown back in one leap, ready to deck Emmett from behind.

Catching his wrist before it could hit in supernatural speed, Emmett fought against Viktor with the strength of his resistance.

Viktor immediately recovered and now both men were hopping around in a circle making sudden advances towards each other like a boxing match. They struggled back and forth, taking swings at each other and blocking each other's hits.

Emmett took one quick swing; Viktor was quick to evade the danger of Emmett's hands that were as lethal as the claws of a bear. He reached up even faster, clobbering Emmett in the head.

"All of this for that whore? Cheap little bitch!" he taunted at Emmett under his breath. "You can have her. I don't care to have an incestuous harlot by my side for all of eternity… lusting after her_ brother_."

Emmett roared angrily in response like an animal, swinging his arm and jabbing Viktor right in the jaw with one large fist. Successfully pinning that one arm he held behind Viktor's back, Emmett found an opening to punch him again, but this time in the gut.

Viktor was now hunched over, holding his midsection and glaring back at Emmett.

Emmett then stepped back to prep for a forceful kick to Viktor's groin. When he connected, Viktor flung across the clearing once again to land on his behind.

I stood up slowly dusting off the dirt and leaves from my clothes with one hand. My other hand cupped my nose as the numbness wore off and the pain began to pulse.

I watched the grueling fight continue to unfold before my eyes as Emmett growled loudly at the miserable excuse for a man waiting just yards away from us. He launched himself in the air, and landed with one loud crack of his foot right smack dab in the middle of Viktor's chest.

Viktor turned onto his side, curling inwards in response, giving Emmett an easy target.

Emmett began kicking him ferociously in the stomach, his lips curled back, and teeth clenched together. His temper had consumed him.

The action however was more than inviting to me. I flew over in one leap, ready to kick him myself consumed with rage for his attack, but it was short-lived.

After the first kick, Victor managed to quickly grab my ankle and flip me with such force that I fell to my side with one large crash on the icy leaf covered ground.

The fall was such that it caught Emmett's attention for just one second, his head turning to glance at me. Unfortunately that second was just the distraction Viktor needed to sweep his leg across the ground, throwing Emmett to the ground in the process.

Emmett fell in a loud crashing thud and Viktor was immediately on him punching him in his head one blow right after the other. Emmett struggled to process what just happened. To Viktor's dismay, the punches left him unaffected, and Emmett triumphantly howled in his face.

Grabbing Viktor by his neck with one large hand, he picked him up off the ground and carried him over to the wall of the surrounding mountain. He repeatedly spun, pausing to smash Viktor's head against walls of rocks causing an avalanche of smaller pieces to rain down upon them both. Viktor began to appear faint at the spinning; too dizzy to fight back with his limbs. In his anger, Emmett didn't even realize he now had both hands around Viktor's neck and squeezing tightly as if to cut off the airway that Viktor didn't need.

Viktor's hands struggled to pry Emmett's grip from his neck. He continued to provoke Emmett, calling me names and insulting Emmett's fighting abilities. His hands held onto Emmett's wrists, desperately trying to pry them away from his neck.

Something in Emmett clicked, Viktor's words igniting a fiery rage of anger in him. He began raising Viktor's head by the neck and slamming cold and vehemently against one particularly sharp, prominent mountain rock, snarling and sneering in a tone as loud as a scream. It was so vigorous that I could hear Viktor's iron flesh begin to crack to pieces.

I began to comprehend that Emmett was not going to stop unless he permanently put an end to Viktor. "Emmett, don't do this. It's not worth it," I demanded, launching myself onto the mountainside where they stood.

He continued lifting Viktor's head and slamming it against the rock, debris flying everywhere. I had to shield my eyes from the flying rock particles. Profanities roared from the mouths of both men in one long string.

Within minutes Viktor grew could no longer comprehend his own thought as he was now wheezing and wincing in pain. Pieces of his head came apart and fell to the ground.

I tried my best to hide a satisfied smile at Viktor's condition. As much as I would like to see Viktor dead, I couldn't let Emmett make any mistakes. There was no telling how loyal his coven was to him, but we could not take a chance that other vampires would come back to our home in vengeance of their friend's death. "Please, Emmett. Stop," I begged. "Don't kill him."

Trying to keep me away he elbowed me lightly, but it still caused me to fly back and fall directly into rocks on my derriere. His focus remained completely on Viktor as he did so.

"Give me just one reason I shouldn't snap your neck in half right now!" he sneered at Viktor.

Viktor grimaced in pain, his breath shallow and quick. "Fuck you, dirt-bag," he scorned under his breath.

Emmett responded by slamming him once again against the rock.

"Emmett, please! It's not worth it," I called from where I sat, getting up to brush the dust off myself as I slowly walked over. "You'll cause a war between our family and his friends. We don't need people coming back to avenge their friend's death, no matter how _pitiful a man he is_." I strained the last part of that sentence staring back at the man in disgust.

Keeping his hand securely wringing the man's neck, he looked up at me, his nostrils still flaring but his eyes growing in reluctant comprehension.

"You'll only bring more danger to our home, Emmett. Please…_ please_, just let him go."

Slowly moving his eyes back to the horrendous young man that writhed beneath his grasp he snarled. "I'm going to spare your miserable life if you promise _never_ to come back here and show yourself to me or my family _ever again." _

Viktor struggled to look at Emmett, his fight surrendering at the strength of Emmett's grasp and the wrath of his anger.

"And you _will_ stay the hell away from her, too. Never touch her, never look at her again. Do you hear me?"

He silently peeked back at Emmett through one eye as he still huffed and puffed.

"Promise you'll never come back, or else I swear to you I will fucking rip you to shreds and no one will recognize who you were," Emmett threatened. "Not that it would matter really, because I'd just have a bonfire and burn you 'til you're nothing but smoke and dust."

Viktor slowly nodded. Emmett slammed his head one last time against the rock before he loosened his grip, letting Viktor fall to the ground. He kicked dust into Viktor's face before stepping back, enraged disgust reeking from his normally beautiful face.

I sighed in relief as I watched Viktor pick up what pieces of his flesh that he could, taking one last hateful glance at us before he disappeared through the Southern mountains of the forest.

Emmett remained frozen as he watched Viktor's retreat, his left over anger still bubbling in low growls from his chest.

I was overcome with pride for my rescue, as Emmett was my savior. To imagine that the love of my life had become my hero in just one day was exhilarating. Surely he loved me in some way that his newborn state would allow, even if he couldn't express it the way a seasoned vampire would. I was overflowing with gratitude for his bravery and determination. I was also proud of him for having the sense to let Viktor go free, showing his concern for the family won over his ferocious outburst. Unconsciously I had closed the distance between us, throwing my arms around him, as I was too overwhelmed with all that I felt for him at that moment. "Oh my god, Emmett, thank you so mu—"

My mind hardly had time to register as suddenly I was thrown against a tree with Emmett's large hand clenched at my collarbone and the other hand rose at me and ready to strike.

Without thinking, I hissed back as my vampire instincts reacted defensively. How foolish I was it hadn't occurred to me that he was still in attack mode when I approached him. I slowly let my hiss subside as I realized I needed to snap him out of his frenzied state.

His grip wasn't crushing, but still strong enough to hold me and keep me against the tree. Though I was frightened, this was Emmett, and I was bound to him. Focusing on that, I was able to push that part of my brain aside and concentrate on reasoning with him. I had to be strong for him. I loved him and I was going to support him. I knew that he could push through this and I was determined to help.

"Emmett, don't do this."

His face was frozen in a scowl, this lips curled back behind his teeth. He held his hand up shakily.

"Emmett, it's me—Rosalie. I am not a threat." The frightened part of my brain took charge for a split second as I began to tremble at this moment.

He snarled in response, but his eyes suddenly grew worrisome.

"Don't. Do. This." I pleaded. "Don't hurt me, please." _I love you. Don't let me down like this._

He hesitated, and I knew I was getting to him. His hold wavered before his fingers grasped my collarbone tighter. His sudden adjustment to his hold had part of my mind in a panic again but I refused to be cowed by my fear. I was not a weak, human woman anymore.

"Stand down, Emmett McCarty," I said forcefully. His eyes narrowed at me, his head tilting to the side.

"Emmett, it's me," I articulated slowly in with great confidence, my trembles subsiding. "DO. NOT. DO. THIS."

Inside I was shaking with fear, but outwardly I maintained a cool and collected display. I was going to help him through this, and he was going to let me go. This was not like the first time he attacked me. Carlisle and Edward had trained me enough times to handle this sort of thing from him. I was now armed with knowledge and confidence and a large part of me knew I would get him through this. All we had was each other, even though he didn't know it yet.

I watched him as he began to shake off his disorientation and eventually lowered his hand. Awareness snapped back into him and he let go of me instantly.

I sighed in relief and shut my eyes for one quick moment to compose myself again.

He dragged his feet towards the rock that he had crushed using Viktor's skull, slumping down against it onto the ground, chest heaving, energy drained by such a grueling battle. His face looked torn and he was shaking his head slowly in obvious affliction. I didn't need Edward's mindreading gift to tell me that Emmett was once again punishing himself for this sudden loss of control.

"How many times do you have to be told you need to stay away from me?" he snarled through clenched teeth, not meeting my eyes. "Why can't you keep your distance?" He buried his face in his hands, angry and frustrated.

"What? I can't thank you for coming to my rescue?" I asked disbelievingly. "Emmett, you just saved me. I owe you my praise."

He shook his head furiously, grimacing at the word _praise_. "Just stay away from me, will you?" he snapped. "Can't you get a clue?" He lifted his head to look up at me, his expression angry, but his eyes said differently. His rust colored irises met mine, confliction and self-disgust evident in the arch of his brows.

His words cut me like a knife. How could he defend my honor in one minute and send me away the next? I bit back my anger and absorbed his words. It seemed I tended to do that a lot in his presence.

Hastily, I began to turn towards the house, when I snapped. I know I could never make him love me but I could certainly show him how I felt—show that I would support him. I could make him feel the love I had for him even if he couldn't feel any for me himself. I refused at this moment to give up on him.

I whipped right back around and stepped towards him. "No."

He looked up at me, stunned. "What?"

"No, I won't," I chided, folding my arms across my chest.

His expression was confused. It was the first time that I had ever spoken up for me against his wishes.

"No, you will not send me away. I was sent with you to hunt with you and escort you back home. So no, I'm not leaving until you leave with me."

He let out a loud exasperated sigh. "Why do you have to be so pigheaded all the time?" he groaned. "Can't you see that I'm trying to prevent myself from hurting you?"

"Well can't _you _stop for just one moment? Quit beating yourself up about all of it long enough to see that I'm all right? That I am fine and well because of _you_? Why can't you accept that? You won't hurt me. I believe in that… in _you_."

His reluctant face grew tender for once. "I don't deserve it," he lamented, but his eyes were full of humble gratitude.

"Now I'm not going anywhere until you get up off your behind and face it. I'm not leaving without you. They expect me to bring you home, and by golly, that's what I'm going to do."

He debated for moments as his eyes searched left to right on the forest dirt. "Fine," he huffed, slowly rising to his feet, but was careful to keep his distance from me as he did so.

We began our walk back to the house, not in a hurry this time as we both contemplated on all that occurred today.

I was shaken by the incident with Viktor. Add the loss of control that Emmett almost succumbed to, and half of me was like gelatin again. The other half of me was devoted to helping him get over his remorseful predicament, and out of concern I would glance over at him periodically from the side of my eyes. He had prevented with what could have been a very traumatic experience, and therefore, I felt indebted to Emmett for his heroism.

After a long moment of walking in silence, Emmett began to speak. "Carlisle will not be happy about this," he concluded.

I furrowed my brow at his concern. "No he won't. But it's not like you killed him. You stopped yourself. He'd more likely be unhappy at the true nature of Viktor than your fight." I turned to him. "Besides, you did it in my honor; to defend me. What would happen had you not shown up… he couldn't blame you for it. No one can, Emmett."

"Hmm… You go to tell him?"

I sighed, reading his worried expression and slowly shook my head. "Not if you don't want me to… But Edward will know. Why does this concern you so much?"

"Right. You think he'll tell Carlisle?"

"I don't know. Not if it's nothing to worry about, I would think. If we believe Viktor will never return, Edward will be lenient. He might ask you about it, but he won't alarm Carlisle if it doesn't involve our safety." I did not ignore that he avoided my question. "What is it, Emmett?"

He answered looking straight ahead. "I'm new to this family—to Carlisle's home. I want to make sure everything is well with him; that I'm accepted."

It warmed my dead heart to realize his consideration and respect for Carlisle was that important. "But you are, Emmett," I assured him.

I looked over at Emmett, his expression thoughtful for a while. It hit me in that instant that he and I were actually having a full conversation together. I put a concerted effort not to beam at the idea.

"How did you hide it from them?" he asked abruptly, interrupting my thoughts.

"Hide what?"

He cleared his throat. "Royce and that group. Your plan. They wouldn't let you do it if they knew, I'm sure."

"Oh… _that_." I twirled a lock of my hair into my fingers as I paused before speaking again, the thought of the days leading up to that night entering my mind. "I kept it to myself and didn't tell anyone. I hid my thoughts from him at first. Edward didn't know my plan until after I had done it."

"So how did Carlisle find out?"

"News of their deaths was detailed in the morning paper. It was quite obvious to him who did it. It upset him a great deal, but in the end he still understood it was justice that I sought… even if he didn't agree with how it was done. He forgave me instantly, of course, but not before a well-deserved lecture. Carlisle is a compassionate soul, Emmett. If he finds out what you did today he'd only be proud of you."

We grew silent in our human paced trek. Animals froze all around us instinctively as we walked, even though one could barely hear our stealthy footsteps.

He looked to me again, seeming nervous before he spoke. "Are… are you… hurt?"

"Who me? No, I'm fine." A wave of warmth tugged at my insides again much like that day he called me an angel. I bit my lip hiding a smile.

"Are you sure? I saw that he hurt you." His eyes, still reluctant, had also filled with anxiety about my wellbeing. I noticed a flicker of movement in his arm, his hand and fingers twitching in my direction. He immediately clenched it back into a fist, effectively letting his arm fall back on his side.

_Did he want to touch me?_ I could never be sure, but oh, how I wanted it to be true.

Either way, my heart soared at his inquiry. "I healed just fine, thanks," I answered softly.

We both paused, hearing a brush of wind and speedy footsteps coming our way. Emmett stood on edge, but I shook my head at him. Only one vampire could be so fast.

Rapidly appearing before us in our path, Edward was panting with worry. "Are you all right?" he asked me, in frenzy.

"I'm fine. How did you know?"

"Viktor must have fled within range of my senses on his way back. I saw his thoughts and followed your scent here immediately." He looked at Emmett, and then glanced back at me. "Are you sure you are well?"

"I'm good, Edward. Healing just fine," I assured him. My eyes moved from Edward to Emmett and back. "Emmett saved me," I replied, confidently.

Emmett grunted in rebuttal to my statement, but I continued on.

"He fought Viktor and hopefully that will be the last we'll see of him. Everything is fine."

"I should have fucking given him the kiss off," Emmett mumbled under his breath. "He about had his dukes all over her, that fucking _egg_."

Edward chuckled at Emmett's slang words. "Apparently you scared him away as well," Edward said. "Much more _hard boiled_ than an_ egg_." It was quite a treat to listen to Edward use today's slang with such a formal tone as his own, being fourteen years older than us both.

Emmett nodded, giving a grim smile and looking back down. Any other time that would have made him laugh. He was clearly still regretting what happened between us after his rescue.

_He thinks he failed because he tried to hit me_, I explained to Edward silently. I replayed the scene through my eyes for him, unsure that Emmett would do it himself.

Edward nodded back with his eyes at me, before turning his attention towards Emmett. "She was not harmed, Emmett. You did a good job restraining yourself."

Emmett turned to him, feeding him all his thoughts.

"She is safe with you," he continued. "No telling what would have happened if you didn't show up. And what happened afterwards—Em, you're gaining more control over yourself. She's safe. You should be proud."

I watched as Emmett's expression changed back and forth from different emotions as his thoughts ran internally towards Edward.

"There is no sense in worrying Carlisle and Esme when the danger no longer exists, but we can never be too sure. I think we should still notify Carlisle. I do not believe that he will be upset with you for anything. You saved Rosalie, you considered the family's safety when you let Viktor free, and you controlled yourself from harming Rosalie. What could Carlisle and Esme be upset about?"

Emmett deliberated, looking down, his lips pursed in disappointment, but slowly nodded his head in agreement. "I .. guess you're right," he sighed.

Edward gave him a smile. "In fact, Rosalie's temper was enough to turn him off _for a century_ so I doubt he'll be back anytime soon."

Emmett lifted his head, his eyes switching from Edward to me and back. I couldn't help but chuckle at his words, a smile playing on both of their faces in response. It was no secret that I was hot-tempered.

Though he still felt regretful, the information left him amused. "Leave it up to your pigheaded-ness to scare a vampire away for 100 years," Emmett cracked, unable to control his hilarity.

Edward turned, winking at me. "He decided you were too much trouble to be worth it." He turned back to Emmett. "Besides, no one was killed today. You did a good thing by letting him go. That coven could easily turn on us as well. The war that could have resulted would not be pretty."

Emmett nodded, his spirits lifting slightly from his previously somber mood.

We walked home together in awkward conversation, making an effort to make each other feel better, but a distressed bubble of emotions had settled in my chest that needed to burst. The gravity of the previous situation transferred from my brain into the physical nature of my body. I kept it bottled in, of course. I refused to show my weak side to either of them.

Even in front of Carlisle and Esme, I held in my longing to cry out loud. Edward walked in to inform them of Viktor and the catastrophe that transpired earlier today, Emmett standing behind him. I didn't give them much of a chance to interact with me when we walked through the door.

Instead, I fled straight up the staircase and grabbed a silk kimono, heading for the bathroom. For the first time in a while, I climbed into the shower, washing off the dirt and debris from myself. I wanted to rid of any evidence of this attack, and cleanse Viktor's putrid scent from my body. Feeling the steady stream of the warm water on my back and shoulders, I let go of my brave charade, the weight of today's events crashing over me like a tsunami. I leaned my head against the tile, silently sobbing. Though my conversation with Emmett had helped to distract my mind from the reality of the situation, I was now left to drown in the trauma that occurred today.

Stepping out of the shower, I heard a knock at the door. Quickly slipping on my kimono, I cracked the door open, meeting Esme's loving, pained eyes. Without saying a word, she grabbed me and held me close to her, and I melted into her arms, burying my face into her hair as we both wept out of the combination of horror and relief.

Offering to help me brush my hair, she accompanied me to my room, taking a seat behind me at my vanity to comb out the wet tangles. We listened to Carlisle speak with Emmett one story below us, Edward silently by their side. Carlisle, concerned and sick with worry about me, was thankful to Emmett's heroism, and impressed that he considered our family's safety as he reluctantly spared Viktor's life. Contrary to Emmett's worry, Carlisle welcomed him into our family now more than ever. Once my hair dried from the brushing and combing, Esme sat with me on my couch, letting me lean on her shoulder as she stroked my hair and hummed a soft lullaby. We said nothing as she did so, but her soothing presence was just what I needed to make it through my breakdown.

As I contemplated the earlier incident as well as my conversation with Emmett, I also remembered I forgot about my dance lesson. I let Esme to her own duties, fleeing to the now vacated living room and phoning my ballroom dance instructor, Mr. Kent. I sent my regrets that I would miss tonight's session. I had been taking weekly lessons with Mr. Kent for almost three months in an effort to give myself more activities, wanting to avoid twiddling my thumbs as I waited for something to bloom with Emmett.

I skipped school the next day to recover mentally. I spent many hours standing in my bedroom or working on Carlisle's car, trying to clear my head. Later that evening, I fiddled on the piano for a half an hour playing whatever came to mind. It was about 3:00am. I had to clear my mind of the wretched afternoon I had with Viktor. I was feeling much better after the past 24 hours of contemplation.

"May I have the piano now?" Edward asked, with a slight bite to his words.

"You? I_ just_ sat down," I retorted, not looking up at him.

"Do you not realize that I let you literally live on this piano bench for almost a month?"

"Nope. Sorry. I'm not getting up from this seat." I turned my nose up from him.

"Well then scoot over. We can play something together." His insistence was annoying yet endearing, much like my brother, Robert, Jr. was to me.

"What? Blue Moon _again_?"

"You dare question such a popular song of today's time, Rose? You always play the classics; loosen up with me, will you?"

I pursed my lips at him as I deliberated for a moment, and finally shifted down the bench to my right. "Only if I play the vocal side."

"Fine," he chided, sliding onto the other side of the bench.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I gushed sarcastically.

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes. "Always so overdramatic," he said. "You are truly theatrical, Rose."

"You're one to talk, Mr. Cullen," I sniffed back.

He chuckled before beginning his part, playing the lower end of Blue Moon.

We played together and laughed. It was one of the few moments that I could share with Edward when we weren't ready to kill each other. I caught my reflection in the piano once again, but this time I looked and felt better. My mood was… hopeful.

Once the song was over, Edward decided to give me a break, what with my assault and all, and excused himself to go upstairs. "So long as you promise to do one thing, I won't bug you for the piano."

"What's that?" I asked, slightly annoyed again.

"Play something for my friend here. He's been watching us for a while." Edward said, nudging over behind me.

"Yes, play something else?" I heard a gentle, deep voice ask me from behind. I did not realize we had an audience. The hairs stood on the back of my neck, as I knew that voice belonged to only one person in this world.

I turned my head to find Emmett holding his driver's cap in his hand, his face gentle, eyes and mouth restful. He was dressed in a pinstriped shirt under a vest and matching slacks. My eyes feasted on such a handsome man, before feeling a brush of wind beside me. Edward had vacated the room.

"Excuse me?" I asked, unsure that I heard him correctly.

"I'd like an encore, Miss Rosalie. Please… will you play something else?"

"Uh… sure." I turned back to the piano as I hid my face in my hair, smiling to myself, feeling giddy and nervous at the same time. I thought quickly of what to play. I cleared my throat. "Any requests?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"Whatever you want to play," he said, and I could almost swear I heard a smile in his voice.

I did not turn to look at him however. My hands began to move across the keys instead, letting them play the first thing without thinking: "Begin the Beguine," a song released only last year. Though Edward had the gift of writing his own compositions, I had an amazing perception for sound and music, able to memorize and replicate whatever I heard on the radio. The song was a happy dance number, which I was sure Emmett would appreciate. It came to a close and I softly took the lid of the piano with my fingers and placed it over the keys.

"You play brilliantly, Miss Rosalie," I heard him gush from behind me.

"Oh…. Why th-thank you," I stammered, turning to meet his now beaming face. I mentally jumped up and down to catch a smile from him in my presence.

However, something happened as our eyes met, and the corners of his mouth turned downward, his smile disappearing. His orange-red eyes grew sad and regretful as he turned away to look out the window.

"Emmett, what's wrong?" After today's conversation during the walk home, I felt comfortable enough to speak to him. Asking him questions was something I couldn't bring myself to do before.

He shook his head in silence, keeping his sight from me, as we both heard the sound of a car approaching. "Carlisle is home. I need to get ready," he said, walking toward the stairs. Turning briefly to look at me, he nodded his head with his hat still in hand. "Good day, Miss Rosalie." With that, he placed he hat back on his head and vaporized up the staircase.

_What just happened?_

I sat at the piano slightly dazed and confused at our exchange. We were definitely friends now, and I was thankful for the window that this horrible incident opened for us. However, it seemed he still held up a cautious wall around him.

_Fingers crossed that I could get that wall to fall soon enough._

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Author's note:

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**1930's Vocabulary:**

I had a chance to research some slang from the 30's, so in case you didn't get anything, here are some words I used in the chapter. (I'll do this for every chapter from now on)

_Egg_ – Crude person, or wealthy person (but you know which one I used)

_Hard Boiled_ – Tough

_Dukes _– Hands

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	14. Chapter 13: Caught

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated M for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and mention of sexual content.**

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version.**_

**Chapter -Specific Warning: An "imaginary" Lemon exists in this chapter. Do not continue after the stars if sex offends you, although I will also say that what happens here is vital to the plot.**

Twilight Beta: texbelle

Big thanks to my betas Lisa, aka cfmom, and Beth, aka Ledybug

Revised 10/19/2009

**Playlist:  
Bush – Inflatable  
New Kids on the Block – Stare at You  
Tweet – Oops Oh My  
Divinyls – I Touch Myself  
Blink 182 – Voyeur**

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**Chapter 13: Caught**

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Over the next four weeks Edward and Carlisle continued training Emmett to hunt around areas with human scent. In previous months Edward would survey the land and ensure that no humans were in close distances—that the land they had chosen was abandoned. These days they were testing him to hunt closer to humans, but prepared to fight him if the smell of humans so close was too much for him. His control was growing faster than ever. This made Carlisle confident that with his control around humans, he would also be able to control his temper, and his outbursts to the family—most importantly around me.

It was now February, and in the middle of this dead cold winter, we found ourselves in the hunt country Virginia. Tonight would be more practice for him, as Dr. David Briggs—Carlisle's friend and colleague—and his family, were going to swing by and caravan with us over to the Appalachia Winter Formal. David Briggs was the head surgeon at Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital, and he and his wife had quickly become friends with Carlisle and Esme, having met at several hospital functions and occasions. Their family lived even further into the forest as we did, on a large ten-acre estate, about fifteen miles from our property line.

I heard a whistle from below as Esme and Carlisle flew down the staircase. "What has everyone so dolled up today?" Emmett asked, in a cheerful mood. He sat playing chess with Edward as they discussed the disturbing current events involving the Gestapo in Germany and the Nazi regime, now suddenly interrupted by our well-dressed parental units entering the room. "Looks like you're all going to some _serious _clam-bake."

The others chuckled. Emmett and Edward were killing time before preparing for a hunt that night while we were at the dance.

"Carlisle and I are taking Rosalie to the Winter Formal," Esme explained.

"Oh, that's right. Well, you both look great," Emmett complimented in his booming voice.

"Why thank you, Emmett," Carlisle replied.

He was able to show more of his personality to our family now. He was generally a big sweet teddy bear when he wasn't in his mode of crazy bloodlust. We learned that he was quite funny and quick-witted. He had a smart mouth and never said or did anything he regretted. Well, almost anything. Although he never spoke of it, according to Edward, he was still the upset that he killed the young red headed girl for her blood, and ashamed of his strangling outburst towards me that first day. He was just beginning to accept that he had successfully restrained himself from hurting me after the incident with Viktor, which was an improvement. We would engage in small talk and he'd ask me a question here or there, but always stood several feet away from me when he did so.

I smiled to myself as I listened to their conversation below from my room upstairs. I had spent most of the day here in preparation for tonight's event, and I was nearing completion of my masterpiece. I stood in front of my full-length mirror, admiring the yellow Jean Patou gown as it hung gracefully from my curves. It was bias cut to the knee, and then flared to the hem, accentuating my perfect figure in all its grace. The back dipped low into a large "V," that was elegant, yet held an understated sexiness at the same time.

My hair was curled meticulously into finger waves and rolled into a low bun. I let a few loose tresses frame my face. I placed brilliant diamond stud earrings on my ears, and a matching pendant on a gold chain hung from my neck. I peered through my long thick lashes with my big topaz eyes and loved that the diamonds sparkled enough to draw the eye to my face and chest.

I paused at my vanity to make one more glide of my crimson lipstick across my perfect lips before I descended the staircase in my gown. I positively floated. I thanked the heavens above that I could have yet another something to distract me from my thoughts of Emmett. True, we were friends now, but his distance from me was still something I had to endure. We could engage in conversation, and more often would he greet me and bid me goodbye when he came and went. I should be happy with such an improvement, and though it brightened my spirits, I couldn't help to want much more.

Within my peripheral vision, I could see Edward and Emmett in the corner of the living room both look up from their current conversation about the Nazis as they wrapped up their game of chess. I held my shoes and fur-lined shawl in one hand, noting that Esme was looking at me smiling.

She stood in a sapphire colored charmuese halter gown, with her hair down in one consistent, lovely wave, a diamond studded hairclip lifting the right side of her hair. Instantly, her beaming face popped into one of worry. "Oh, dear child, did we forget to purchase matching evening gloves?"

"Gloves? No, I didn't think of it." I replied.

"Well dear, you'll need gloves. You couldn't just take a human's hand to dance with cold ones of your own."

_Hmm. She had a point there, _but then I realized it didn't matter. "No one will want to dance with me, Esme. Men are already intimidated by me, not even including the fact that humans naturally shy away to begin with, though I know it's purely out of instinct."

"Nonsense, child. Someone will ask you to dance tonight," Esme argued lightly.

Edward stood up from his conversation with Emmett, both of them suddenly tuning into our exchange. I couldn't help but noticed that Emmett stood up behind him, pulling his hat from his head, taking a suddenly rigid stance.

"You dance regularly with your instructor. I believe he will be in attendance."

"Oh, yes." I had forgotten about Mr. Kent, my ballroom dance instructor from town. I always wore gloves around him, even though he didn't seem to mind my temperature. He had fairly grown comfortable around me after the last three months. "Maybe you're right."

"Carlisle, you think we could run to the post office and grab that package I was telling you about? She needs something suitable for such a formal event."

"I'll start the car. Meet me there when you are ready," Carlisle replied, placing a kiss on her forehead before zooming out to the garage.

I looked at Esme, befuddled at her statement. "The post office?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you. I didn't forget anything. I pre-ordered a pair of evening gloves for you a week ago from this lovely shop in Philadelphia," Esme explained, excitement in her voice.

"Oh, dear, Esme, you shouldn't have!"

"But I wanted to." Esme donned her coat before walking to me and placing her hands lightly on either side of my face. "So beautiful, Rose," she whispered, before lightly pecking me on my forehead and dancing out the door. "We'll be right back," she called after herself.

"I hope they have a good live band," I muttered as Esme shut the door behind herself. "The last thing I want is to listen to a lousy tone-deaf canary at the party."

"You _look _like a canary," Edward commented playfully, stepping forward.

"Very funny, _Eddie_," I retorted.

Standing several feet behind him, Emmett was silent, his poise oddly austere.

"That or an overgrown lemon," Edward continued to kid. "I haven't decided. And please don't call me that."

"You can be such a pill," I stated, shaking my head as I dusted off my shawl.

"I'm going to run an errand, and survey some territories for tonight's hunt. I'll be right back, Em." Edward stepped out of the door and was gone in a flash.

Emmett stood gaping at me from the opposite corner of the room, frozen like a statue.

"What?" I almost snapped, now feeling self-conscious after Edward's irritating assessment of my outfit. I looked up at him to meet his stare. "Are you going to make fun of me too? Do I look like a lemon or a bird to you as well?"

He cleared his throat, a smile playing at his lips. "On the contrary, Miss Rosalie, I don't agree with Edward."

I smiled at him, shutting my eyes for a moment in a gesture of gratitude before opening them up again. "Why thank you."

"A sunflower maybe, but not a bird or a fruit," he muttered, his dimpled smile stretching more across his face.

"Ha ha," I grunted, pressing my lips together in a straight line. Well, if they both wanted to play that game, so could I. "Really! You boys act like simpletons sometimes, I swear."

He just cracked a joke in my presence, a first of many firsts to be had, but naturally it was about me. I sighed lightly._ Life will never be easy with him_, I thought wryly.

I glanced down, lifting my skirt slightly, and stepped into my gold dancing shoes. I still felt his stare on me. I looked up at him, slightly vexed. "What is it now? Is there something on my face?"

He opened and shut his mouth twice, seeming to hesitate to say what he wanted. Instead, he moved gracefully across the room to me. My dead heart would have sputtered at his proximity, although he still kept a good arm's length from where I stood.

He reached his hand up to my face and I froze, my eyes widening in bewilderment.

_Holy mother of heaven, what is he doing?_

Reaching for the locks of my hair, the back of his hand slightly brushed against my cheek and I absolutely let out the faintest whimper at the sudden jolt of electricity of his touch. To any human our skin would be ice cold, but to me his was like fire. I shuddered lightly in response, and in a flash his hand was gone from my hair.

He seemed to shudder as well as he retrieved his hand, clearing his throat as if to shake off the sensation. "I apologize, Miss Rosalie," he muttered, his voice soft. "I just couldn't let you go out with this in your hair." A piece of yellow thread about four inches long dangled from his fingers.

Of all the many moments in my vampire life that I could blush crimson, this is one definitely on the top. "Oh, murder! I didn't realize that was there," I breathed, gingerly fingering my tendrils. "Is it all gone?"

"Yes, it is," he chuckled, sounding amused. "We couldn't have you attending that clam-bake without making sure everything was right." He smiled at me then, eyes warm and sincere, and my heart soared.

I gazed back at him with a smile as well, but I couldn't find my tongue. I had not witnessed a smile in my direction from him in months. A wave of warmth crashed through my ribcage.

He seemed preoccupied with a thought as he stared back at me before shaking himself out of it. "Well, I shouldn't keep you," he said in a rush of words, taking several steps back as if he was in my way.

"Oh, yes. Th-thank you," I breathed, trying to feign calm. I ensured that my feet were properly placed into my shoes, slipped on my shawl and headed for the kitchen to take one look at myself in the mirror that Esme hung over the dining table.

"They would be crazy…" I heard him murmur under his breath, his voice trailing off towards the end of his sentence.

I stopped at his abrupt unfinished remark, whirling around with my loose tresses and the skirt of my dress following in the breeze of my movement. "I beg your pardon?"

His face was suddenly serious and gentle, and I was completely caught off guard by his expression. "I— I said they … would be crazy," he replied timidly.

"What do you mean? Who?" I asked, confused. "Who's crazy?"

"The young men at the formal tonight," he said, his now gold speckled red eyes dancing with sincerity. He took a deep breath before the next sentence came flying out in a rush. "They'd be crazy not to ask you to dance."

My stomach fell to the floor and my heart felt like it burst into flames.

"You—" he breathed, taking a large gulp before continuing, "you look far too swell tonight … breathtaking even… to go unnoticed."

It felt like my guts were tugging me from the inside out as my stomach churned relentlessly with butterflies. _Emmett just paid me a compliment._

I was completely dumbfounded. "I— Thank you," was all I could manage to say. I looked down at the coffee table unseeing as my eyes couldn't focus. _What do I do now_? It was what I'd been waiting for, but it instantly left me awkward and embarrassed. It was unfamiliar territory for both of us.

"It's only the truth, Miss Rosalie," he sighed as my peripheral vision caught him shift his weight from one foot to the other. "No need to thank me."

Still sensing his gaze intent upon me, I looked up again to meet his eyes with mine. My reflection sat clearly in the liquid fiery depth of them, even many feet away from him. His expression was tender; not a smile, not a scowl, not a frown, just sincere and tender.

We did not move; we did not speak. We stood for what felt like an immeasurable moment gazing at each other from across the room, locked in some strange force.

_Could he finally feel the same about me now?_

I waited with baited breath, hoping that he would somehow break the silence and say something more. I couldn't find the right thing to say at this moment, and hoped maybe he could.

Esme and Carlisle had returned mere moments later with a new pair of cream-colored elbow length evening gloves for me. I regretfully turned my attention to them. Distractedly, I let Esme assist me in slipping them onto my arms.

Unnoticed by the others, Emmett still held his gaze on me.

"The coast is clear," Edward confirmed, flying through the front door. "I found a great place for us to hunt." He walked over to Emmett, who was just now averting his sight from where I stood.

"Thanks, Edward," Emmett nodded in his direction, turning back to me with a smile.

I returned his smile and looked away bashfully like a child.

"They're here." Edward walked to stand closer to Emmett, the Briggs' thoughts entering his radar before we could even hear the car down the street.

An abrupt roar of a growl bubbled from Emmett's throat. Instantly, his attention was won over by the approaching humans.

"Breathe," Edward instructed him, watching Emmett's chest rise and fall with anticipation. "Concentrate, and let the burn subside."

Emmett's fists began to shake, knuckles turning whiter with tension. He clenched his teeth as I'm sure the burn engulfed his throat.

"You can do this," Edward continued to encourage. "And if it gets to be too much, hold your breath and we'll leave out the window and into the forest. They won't be here for long, so I anticipate you won't get to that point."

Emmett shut his eyes, nodding in comprehension. Carlisle and Esme had discussed this with Edward and ensured all of last night that he was well fed in preparation. Emmett engorged himself with blood yesterday in readying himself for tonight's exercise.

"I shall run outside and let them know we'll be right out," Esme suggested.

"Good idea," Carlisle said. "Emmett, concentrate on something else if it helps you—something happy—anything to distract you from the thirst."

His eyes were still shut as he nodded his head once again, his head tilting to the side as he seemed to choose a thought to concentrate on. A corner of his mouth curled up slowly into a half smile, a dimple sinking into that cheek.

I wondered briefly if he was thinking about me, but I also smiled as I watched his hands slowly relax. This meant he was learning to control himself around people and maturing as a newborn. We were not rash in testing him, keeping him inside the house and Carlisle's human friends in their car. The proximity of them was enough to test his restraint.

When it became obvious that no danger existed, Carlisle and I walked out to the garage to join Esme in the Bentley who had already started the car in an effort to warm up the vehicle.

Held in the town hall, the large room was decorated in bellowing white fabric hung to drape everywhere, paper snowflakes, and cotton made to look like snow. An impressive, large jazz band played on my left. Though it was not the most grand of parties, it was still gorgeous and lavish for a small town like Appalachia.

Many people paused when we stepped in, automatically staring and whispering for a moment before carrying on. The Woods and the Blaylocks—two families who hosted this event every year—greeted us first. Following Esme's lead, I grabbed a glass of wine for show, parading it around with my dainty fingers, acting as if to take a sip, but pulling away to respond to questions and nonsensical human chatter.

Within thirty minutes of mingling beside Carlisle and Esme with strangers, a pair of familiar bright green eyes spotted me from across the room, making their way over to me. He was dressed in a single breasted black tuxedo with a bow tie, straightening it nervously as he approached me. His dark brown hair was combed back as always, with his handsome chiseled face, and cheeks flushed as they usually did around me. "Good evening, Miss Rosalie. You looking amazing tonight."

"Thank you, Mr. Kent," I smiled, nodding my head once in my dance instructor's direction. "You are looking well yourself." It was only in good manners that I paid him that compliment, even though his good looks did not compare to the one man at home whose face would send my heart soaring.

"Oh, thank you," he breathed, and I was instantly assaulted with a searing sensation in my throat as his cheeks and ears burned with a fiery blush. His eyes seemed mesmerized by me as I spoke to him in the most disarming tone that a vampire could. He gulped loudly before speaking again. "And please do call me Thomas—at least for tonight's event." He watched me as I was about to protest and added "We're not here as student and teacher; this is purely social."

"Well I guess I cannot argue with you there, Mr. K—um, Thomas," I giggled.

He chuckled back nervously, and I detected a sudden acceleration of his heartbeat. "Shall we dance?" he asked politely, holding out a strong hand in my direction.

"Why certainly," I said, graciously taking his searing hand, now slightly sweaty with growing apprehension, and letting him lead me to the half-filled dance floor. I placed the glass of wine onto a tray at a nearby table on the way to the floor. The thirst was like fire in my throat but as a weekly practice, it was by habit that I could handle it.

I danced absentmindedly with Mr. Kent for three songs, perfectly mastering every move. As expected, everyone watched us. Mr. Kent was a skilled ballroom dancer, and I had the advantage of picking up moves quickly and skillfully as my supernatural mind allowed me to calculate. Add that to the combination that I so rarely attended social events, and my beauty no doubt had everyone at a standstill. We caused quite the spectacle. Every man had his eye on me, while every woman glared at me enviously.

Mr. Kent smiled at me as we danced; his large green eyes were delightfully wide with excitement as I was his partner tonight. Sadly, my scattered brain was elsewhere, focusing on large, laughing rust-colored eyes instead, and a dimpled grin that now smiled for _me_. For the first time, I was buoyant about my future with Emmett. I began to see much hope in the horizon that Carlisle spoke of in regards to his beginnings with Esme. The mint colored irises of the face that danced with me disappeared in the haze of my euphoria.

For once in my resentful vampire existence, I was truly optimistic.

* * *

The evening marked the 6-month anniversary from when I found Emmett that 5th day in September. It was a cold night two weeks later when I had excused myself from my family to go hunting alone. When the urge was unbearable I had to escape to relieve it, having just witnessed a very naked Emmett this morning before school. I had ballroom dancing lessons directly after class, so immediately following them this evening was the time for me to get away. It was in this forest that I would now find sanctuary for such an act.

I was always very careful of my thoughts and urges when we did hunt, knowing as vampires we give ourselves over to our senses completely. I couldn't be aroused around him in that case. As per my conversation with Esme, I never bothered with any foolish plans of enticement like I did on our first hunt alone. Our friendship, new and exciting, was still stifled by a cautionary wall that Emmett still held around me. Though I was sure now that he'd noticed me in a romantic way, he was still far from exhibiting such feelings to me verbally or physically.

I wasn't the only one in the house who was getting closer to Emmett. Edward and Emmett got along great— very well in fact, that they seemed to become best friends in addition to being brothers. It was like he envied—in a healthy way—Emmett's outlook on life. He admired his new big brother. I was glad for that. It also helped ease my relationship with Edward as well.

Meanwhile here I was, about to admire _Edward's brother_ in a completely other way. I didn't enjoy lying to my family so I actually did hunt something quickly like a deer on trips such as these. Tonight it was an unfortunate fox that crossed my path as I reached a spot I found in a Kentucky forest. I knew the color of my eyes would be a dead give-away if I did not hunt when I said I would.

I brought with me a duffle bag with a blanket. I laid it out on the cold tundra, satisfied that I was a good 50 miles away from home. It was a freezing evening I guessed, but with my armor flesh I was not as sensitive to weather as humans.

I laid myself down on the plush fabric on my back at first and cleared my mind. School bordered between mundane and interesting since this was only my second time as a senior. The whole day I was filled with impatient yearning, as I needed to relieve myself desperately. The highlight of my day was accidentally walking passed Emmett's room on my way, catching a glimpse of him completely naked as he chose what to wear around the house. He had looked up and I quickly vanished from his sight. I know that he knew I was there even if he didn't see me, because my scent probably lingered in my wake. When I returned home from school he wasn't there, and so I attended my swing lesson downtown with Mr. Kent before I headed out this way.

Finally getting today's events out of my head, I let my mind wonder to a place that I usually suppressed around my family. It was a place I had visited many times over since the garage incident, and used many nights alone in the privacy of this glen to enjoy it.

_I'm out with Emmett as we return from a hunt, spending most of it catching each other in longing glances and being too timid to make solid eye contact with one another. We run at a human's pace through the forest towards the house, when I'm suddenly pressed against the tree by my vampire prince._

_"I can't stand it anymore," he breathes, his voice shaky with desire. "You are just way too beautiful for me to resist and I can't help it."_

_Immediately, his mouth is on mine in a feverish passion. His kiss is deliciously sweet. His candy lips and warm tongue part my trembling lips and all I can do is allow him to do his will. I begin to move against him, now kissing back as eager as he is. He pulls back from me and I whimper at the loss of contact._

_He lifts his hand to my collar, beginning to unbutton my blouse at a vampire's speed, pulling and un-tucking it from the waist of my skirt and letting it fall. His eyes roam my chest with my newly revealed brassiere, licking his lips before they find mine again, this time with his hands on my face. Traveling down my shoulder, his right hand pulls my strap down with his thick fingers while is mouth finds its way from my mouth, down my chin and to my neck._

_Finding his shirt buttons with my hands, I release them from the confines of their holes and pull the disruptive piece of fabric from between us. I let my hands explore his chest freely, feeling him tremble at my touch._

_I gasp as his hand suddenly peels the cup of my brassiere off of my breast, his mouth finding its goal. In a movement too fast for humans to register, he removes my brassiere completely from my body, tossing it to the side as it lands and hooks on a nearby branch of a leafless maple tree._

_"So beautiful," he mumbles against my flesh. Switching his mouth with his hand, his lips nipped at my flesh, sucking and licking as I positively yelp with pleasure at his touch._

I hadn't remembered even removing my own blouse as I thought about this. I had pulled the straps down, touching myself as I did so.

_He presses himself against me, touching me in places I'd never been touched before by anyone other than myself._

_"Like that, do you?" Emmett asks me, but all I can do is nibble at his lip in response, as if to say yes and give him the go-ahead to continue._

By this time I had hiked up my own skirt, imitating Emmett's imaginary caresses.

_"I've wanted you since the day we met, I just didn't know it then," he whispers in my ear before moaning with me as I growl. _

_"I want you so much, right here, right now," he groans to me. His other hand speedily reaches down to my panties and with one swift movement rips them off of my body._

I heard a wrestling in the trees and looked upwards. Branches swayed on two trees nearby. I dismissed it, thinking it was probably a squirrel. I continued my task, assuming it was a squirrel.

_I begin to unbuckle his belt, but he pulls it off in one swift motion, the tear of the corduroy fabric echoing around us._

_"You," are just so beautiful," he grunts._

_My eyes fly open wide, and I cry in what my mind could only conjure as pure unadulterated pleasure. We both moan and growl looking each other in the eye._

I kept at my task, picking up the pace in time with my fantasy.

_He lifts me up higher against the tree and arches himself to get more leverage, and I just about die as he hit my spot. "You are… the most… beautiful… woman… ever," he growls through his teeth._

I squealed with delight. My mental fantasy continued, and eventually I felt my abdominal muscles tighten, and I let out a growl.

Uncontrollably, I began to chant. "Oh god oh god oh god oh god…. Oh…._ God_! _Emmett_!" I cried, so loud that I could probably be heard within a five-mile radius. The rush of heat and waves of convulsion from my orgasm overcame my body.

That was when I heard it, startling me to near death, before I even fully finished riding out my orgasm.

There was an audible snap of a branch fifteen feet ahead and to the right. I sat up quickly while I readjusted my superhuman eyes to get a fix of what had made the noise.

The cold wind shifted and carried a familiar scent of musky cinnamon and baked bread, one I had memorized by heart these last few months. I felt sick with apprehension as my eyes focused on the source of that sound. There, in the brush were two young red-orange eyes peering at me from the darkness in the trees—eyes only a vampire in Cullen-diet training would possess.

My stomach fell.

"Emmett," I gasped.

I was completely mortified.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Whew! My first lemon! I finally made it, but not without blushing the whole damn time, lol! Again, a newly revised lemon for FF(dot)net TOS compliance... explicit versions can be read on my Twilighted account (achelle131)!**

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**1930's Vocabulary List:**

**Clam-bake – Wild Swing Event/ Dance / Jam Session**

**Canary – Female Vocalist**

**Murder - Wow**

**Swell - Beautiful, Good looking**

**Dolled up – dressed up**

If you want to read teasers/spoilers or discuss that or anything further, please come by and play on the Vanity and Patience thread in the Twilighted Forum under Fanfiction/Pre-twilight.


	15. Chapter 14: Rejection Pangs

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Chapter Specific Warning: In this chapter exists a partial lemon, or I guess you could call it… a lemon wedge?? If sex and violence offends you, please do not continue reading.**

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version.**_

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

Twilighted Beta: texbelle

Big thanks to my betas (as I had two for this special chapter), Beth, aka Ledybug, and KariAnn!!

Playlist:

Musiq Soulchild – Half Crazy  
Avril Lavigne – My Happy Ending  
Rascal Flats - What Hurts the Most

* * *

**Chapter 13: Rejection Pangs**

"Emmett?" I breathed again, making sure it was him, but I didn't need to; I knew that scent and those eyes anywhere.

I heard his breath hitch before he disappeared instantly, charging further into the forest headed north.

I did not chase after him. In fact, I felt exactly the opposite; I wanted to crawl under a rock and die. If there were a picture in the dictionary for the term "embarrassment," it would be this very situation.

I hastily rearranged myself, grabbing the blanket to stuff in my duffel bag, and then I was off running towards the house, drenched in humiliation. The feeling of burning acid churned in my stomach.

As I returned home, I saw Edward running about half way to our property line. He paused and looked onto me with frenzied concern. "I lost Emmett," he said, worried.

I said nothing, but I was drowning in shame and mortification. The onslaught of my circumstance rendered my thoughts far from being controlled, replaying being caught by Emmett in the paddock.

Edward's face became a twisted mess as he saw my memory before taking a moment to gain composure. "Do you know where he went?" he asked, his eyes scrunching shut as he winced at the scene playing in my head.

_Was he supposed to be with you?_

"There was a mountain lion on the loose here, and they're so rare in this area, that I took my time with it, and when I looked up again he was gone."

I glared at him incredulously. _You idiot! Now, look what happened! How could you just let him alone like that when he was you responsibility tonight? You're so unbelievably stupid!_

"Was that north I saw?" he asked abruptly, not responding to my mental chastising.

"Ugh!" I huffed in frustration and continued my run back home, feeling a brush of wind behind me as Edward headed north towards Emmett.

I arrived at the house charging upstairs and directly into my room, ignoring whoever was sitting in the living room. I probably caused some questionable curiosities with my family, but I didn't care.

For two weeks I avoided Emmett like the plague. I refused to hunt with him or to be alone with him at all, so I made excuses to my parents. I managed to keep our circumstance a secret. Edward was most respectful, and did not mention it to them as well. He even volunteered to go in my stead every time I was supposed to take Emmett hunting.

My evasion prompted the return of Emmett's indifference briefly in these last days; somehow we had reverted back to a few months ago, before Viktor had intruded, and we had grown somewhat in friendship. He took extra distance if he passed me, following my lead in evading one another's presence. Something was different though. I would catch him more often staring at me, and he seemed to grow careless in trying to hide it, even though he'd turn away or avert his eyes when I'd look in his direction. I should be happy about it, but instead it only added to my humiliation.

It was the fifteenth day since he caught me in the forest. Edward was getting ready to go out with Emmett. I had planned to read up on my art history that evening, this time the Early Italian Renaissance period. I figured I could count how many times "Madonna and Child" had been painted by different artists to pass time.

Carlisle and Esme were informing me about their plans to enroll Emmett into university with me next school year. They were arranging to accelerate Edward's high school graduation so that he may be there to assist Emmett in his struggle to conform to human society. In the middle of the conversation, Edward and Emmett, both aware of the plans, came into the kitchen to prepare for their hunt.

"Rosalie, you haven't gone hunting with Emmett in a while. Why don't you go with him this time?" Carlisle insisted.

"Yes, Rose," Esme agreed. "I think Emmett has made some great progress in controlling himself. It would be a great opportunity for you both to get to know each other better if you spend more time with each other." She smiled encouragingly at Emmett, who grinned back quickly but glanced downward immediately. He stood two feet behind me and a foot to the right, Edward by his side, all of us facing our parents in the kitchen.

I tried desperately to find a point to argue with my mother's logic. She was so pure of heart that it was tough to find a word against her reasoning. "Well, I—I don't—" I said, but Edward cut me off immediately.

"I don't mind taking Emmett out. We have a lot of fun," he interjected. "Let's not push anything on Rosalie."

"We're not trying to push anything on her, Edward," Esme replied. "I simply just think it would be nice to give them a chance to spend some time together. We're all family here, and we should all get to know each other better." I knew what Esme was doing. It was obvious to everyone in the house how I felt about Emmett, and she had her matchmaker hat on today.

"Its okay, I really don't mind," Edward insisted. I figured he read my anxiety in my mind.

I looked at Esme and Carlisle who had a look of slight confusion in their faces. These two weeks of me avoiding him were beginning to show that something was going on, and the last thing I needed was more people knowing what had happened in the glen.

I had a choice. I could try to avoid him forever, or I could get over it right away and face my demons. I decided I didn't want to be a coward. "No, Edward, it's fine." I answered, not looking away from my parents. "I'll go."

I could feel Emmett behind me, staring at me from the corner of his eyes. It felt like two sharp lasers boring into my back. I gulped but tried not to make it so obvious.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked, surprised.

_I need to do this and face him someday. Might as well be today_, I thought towards him. _Please don't draw so much attention to it. _

He nodded discreetly with his eyes, without being obvious to the rest of the family.

"It's not a problem," I answered quickly and out loud, trying to hide our internal conversation.

I took a deep breath and launched out the kitchen window, making a soft graceful landing on my heels, reluctantly beginning my trek to the woods, Emmett following closely behind me. I cleared my throat and motioned for him to lead the way. I really didn't feel like having him watch my behind on this trip.

Emmett and I leaped over streams, running to cross the state line into North Carolina this time. The frost-covered ground of winter glistened in the moonlight during our run. In silence, I followed him. I was going to let him pick out our prey today. He found some bison, not a first choice of his because they were herbivores, but large enough to ensure sustenance for weeks. In continued silence, we both lunged at them, breaking necks quickly and drinking their blood carefully. He had finally mastered hunting without staining his clothes.

We both did not look at each other in the duration of this hunt. It was like we blatantly refused to get caught by one another, being so alone in these woods together.

After properly disposing of the corpses in our normal routine, we headed back home, but this time Emmett jogged in human speed. It was an odd decision to do such a thing, but I followed again wordlessly. I figured he'd speed up eventually and tried not to think too much about this sudden change.

_This is easy_, I thought. Maybe I can get over it now. I kept my mind on the task at hand and tried not to concentrate on his delicious body as we hunted today, and I was satisfied with how much I succeeded.

As we did our light run I could feel him watch me from the corner of his eye for the first time since we stepped out of the kitchen window. I was immediately self-conscious. _What was this guy doing?_ Sometimes he could be so strange, but I guess as a newborn nothing you do is ever normal.

Then it happened.

Before I knew it, Emmett had pinned me against a very old tree. Snarling, his hands held a crushing grip onto my arms, his massive body pressed up against mine. I suddenly became dizzy, the electric current between us numbing me. A small part of my brain caused me to tense up reflexively at this somewhat offensive move.

"Do you think of me, Miss Rosalie?" he asked, his roaring voice commanding in a ferocious growl.

I was still numb, and couldn't comprehend what he meant by his question. I stared back at him dumbstruck. My body split in two at that moment: one side ready to be ravaged, the other quite petrified.

"Do you think of me… when you touch yourself?" he asked me again, this time inching his face closer to me. His breath washed over me and paralyzed my will to escape. It was musky and sweet as always, and I wanted to lean in and kiss him.

Unfortunately it took an immeasurable moment before I realized what he was asking me. _Oh god, he just asked if I touch myself to him?_ "Emmett, how could- you— I ca—" I stammered, but I couldn't seem to find the words. Immediately my mind flashed back to that night he caught me in that clearing moaning his name right before he abandoned me. I was stammering, angry, frustrated, wanting to cry, but I also wanted him and was enjoying the feeling. Humiliation was staring at me in the face, and lust had imprisoned me. I wanted to be angry, to show him I was infuriated, but I couldn't find my voice.

"Answer me, Miss Rosalie," he demanded, locking his gaze into my eyes, fierce this time. "Do you think of me?" One hand let go of my arm and slowly inched towards my chest. Abruptly, he cupped one of my breasts and squeezed… _hard_. I moaned uncontrollably in response, but I was fighting against all of my might to show that he affected me.

All I could do was nod yes in response. My thoughts were a mixture of shock and fear, but my body involuntarily betrayed me as I felt myself slowly soaking my panties for a millionth time in his presence, totally overcome with the electric current from his body pressed against mine.

His eyes flickered from my eyes downwards and back as his nostrils flared. _Great_, I thought to myself. _He smells it._

He let out a grunt and immediately his mouth was on mine, gentle only for a mere second, but parted my lips with his, the movements increasing frantically as the moments passed. Both of our breaths began to deepen and shallow through our noses. His mouth held no taste. His grip on my upper arm was now painful, the weight of his body crushing against me so hard, something I wasn't sure he realized. His other hand kneaded at my breasts and they began to ache because somehow it was not as gentle as I would like.

I pushed through the pain because I had desired this for all these months. Desperation had clouded my instinct for self-defense or safety, and my eagerness to feel him against my body took over in a tidal wave of emotion. I was acutely overcome by an undeniable need to touch him, having hungered for him for over six agonizing months.

I moaned and gasped in his mouth in pleasure, but his kiss was almost a forced action against me. It was too rough, and eerie, as it almost felt… wrong. My mind told me I should be screaming, but other parts of me screamed for him, and they were winning.

With my free hand, I trailed my fingers along his well-defined arms, up his neck, and into his hair. My fingers coiled around his short locks as his kisses moved from my mouth, down my chin, and onto my neck, licking and sucking my skin. _I am in heaven and hell at the same time,_ I thought to myself.

As if to make the decision for me, he moved with his mouth to my ear and sucked on my earlobe and flicked his tongue in its opening. I let out a whimper in response. _No, heaven. I'm in heaven._

How oddly familiar this situation was. It took a long moment before my memory kicked in. My sexual fantasy of having him against a tree in the forest was unfolding right before me, but… something was terribly unsettled. Something was missing. Something was very, very wrong.

Ripping his hands from my arms, he grabbed me on the back of my thighs and lifted my legs to the height of his waist—mine wrapped immediately around him. It was all a motion the speed of only a vampire could perform. I had barely a chance to register anything before we were on the icy grass-covered ground with him on top of me, my legs still wrapped around his waist.

He pulled my legs down, his knees straddling my knee he had between my legs slowly moved upwards. He moaned as his knee reached my panties, probably realizing just how wet I was at that moment. Gently he pushed it against me, and then retreated it and back, repeating the action slowly. It felt insanely good, so my body began to absentmindedly grind his knee in response.

I looked into his eyes as he lifted himself slightly before his mouth met me again. Although they were heavy with lust as I searched his irises, they seemed empty and flat, and I felt like although they were on me, he didn't actually _see_ me with them. There was no depth in them that I saw in the garage before, nor before the formal. It seemed like nothing was there, and I suddenly felt constrained.

I must admit that I had no experience in this area. The only time I had remotely come close to sex was the most horrible night of my existence with Royce and his friends. None of that experience was beautiful or pleasurable. They were rough and painful: a drunken, vomit-inducing mess. I couldn't even bring myself to say the word that encompassed what had happened to me that night. Could I even be called a virgin now? Something about what was happening right now felt almost just as uneasy as that one night, but I fought all thoughts against it because here was my Emmett on top of me.

In preternatural speed he ripped my blouse open with both hands, my buttons flying everywhere. His eyes, still full of flat lustful hunger, concentrated on my bosoms. Greedily, he licked my left nipple, swirling his tongue in circles. I couldn't help but whimper in pleasure, but fear also crept into my consciousness as well. He switched over to the other nipple and did the same thing, but this time followed up with taking the whole nipple in his mouth and sucking hard.

I unbuttoned his shirt at vampire speed, slipping my hands underneath it to feel his back. My palms slowly grazed the fine planes and dips his muscles made. I dug my nails into his flesh, and he moaned in response. The sensation was amazing, his fingers slowly rolling one nipple while his mouth sucked the other. I was definitely in heaven.

My mind was a jumbled mess. It felt uneasy, unsettling even, but I couldn't help how much I wanted him to take me. Maybe my fantasy can come true. I was just so desperate for him at this moment—for this—his touch, his warmth, and his kiss. I wanted to take anything he could give me right now.

But as soon as my heaven began, it came to an end.

A growl rumbled from his chest, but not one that was lustful or sexy, it was… menacing, like the type I hear from him when he hunts. It all happened in super speed. Suddenly he tugged and massaged my breast abrasively, and his knee began to slam harder against my crotch.

Lifting his head before moving back down, he took all he could fit of my other breast into his mouth and, biting down, sunk his razor-sharp teeth into my flesh.

His teeth.

_My flesh. _

Sharp. Ripping. Tearing. Stinging. Burning.

I let out a scream of unmistakable pain. It was excruciating, and unlike the fear that was growing in my subconscious, I couldn't hide it.

It was blazing, although he didn't sever me completely, his teeth had sunk deep into my bosom, causing my whole body to tense into the defensive. My shoulders stiffened, and my arms let go of his body.

Emmett's motions come to an immediate halt, his eyes growing wide as he changed his glance from my breasts to look me straight in the face. Surely my scream sent a signal out of his hazardous trance.

I was trembling and trying not to cry as I lay there and stared back at him.

Snapping out of his crazed spell, it suddenly seemed to register in him that he'd hurt me as he read my expression. Immediately, Emmett was on his feet, his shirt still wide open, and his pants still with a large bulge at his crotch, moisture in the fabric where his tip probably sat. The fabric at his knee was slightly damp from my body.

My natural animal instinct had me growling as I immediately I sat up. I looked down at my chest examine the wound and assess the damage, my eyes scanning the torn body tissue to appraise his mouth's destruction. Two rows of crescent shaped teeth marks framing above and below my nipple set into deep wounds. My flesh was already working to heal itself as it was designed to do.

My bosom_. My perfect breast._

My body was now tainted with imperfection.

I was livid.

I was fuming.

I let out an enraged snarl. Looking up at him I continued to growl, my teeth curling back behind my lips. _How could he?_ "You ass!! How could y—"

But my eyes took in his face and I just about died. It looked horrified and full of self-reproach. There was a repentant arch of his brows that framed the now shaken citrine eyes that stared back at me, his lower lip trembling as his mouth hung open.

My mind wanted to hiss and attack him, but my heart wouldn't let me. I was immediately held captive by his obvious pain, rather than my own. How odd what love does to people. Somehow I felt that this was my Emmett, and he would never be my enemy.

"Miss Rosalie, I—" he began, immediately deploring what just happened.

I stood up slowly, wrapping my shirt around my chest to cover my exposed top half. My mind suddenly forgave him for his moment of insanity, knowing he wasn't in control of himself, being so young. "No, Emmett, it's okay," I managed to whisper. "And it's Rosalie," I corrected him for about the millionth time. We were _way_ passed the formalities now.

"But Miss Rosalie, I hurt you… again," he wailed, sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry." His head hung in shame, stepping back from me.

I shook my head and stepped closer to him, reaching to hug him and console him. "I said it's okay, Emmett, I want this," I assured him.

Just as quickly as I held him in a forgiving embrace, he pushed me away and jumped back several feet.

He looked back at me, and for a second I could see his longing there in his face. He was confused, fighting internally to make his decision.

"I've wanted this for the longest time, Emmett," I told him, trying to assure him that everything was fine. Any wall I had before to hide my feelings were gone. I loved this man, and no matter how much he hurt me, I was willing to give myself to him. "Haven't you wanted this, too?" I asked, knowing the desperation in my voice gave all of my inner feelings away to him.

Before this I had never opened up to anyone so relentlessly in my life, except maybe Esme during our heart to heart. I knew right now I was completely vulnerable, and not even my iron flesh could protect my emotions or my heart at this moment.

"Emmett, please," I whispered. "Don't make me beg. I want you. Please… take me."

He gazed at me for the longest moment, his expression torn at the fact that he harmed me in an act of animalistic pleasure and still his desire for me stood with him. Well, that is what I wanted to believe at least.

"I… can't," he breathed, his voice quivering. He clenched his fists as if to keep them by his sides, I noticed the flicker of motion in my direction.

"Emmett, please," I whispered. "I want you, Emmett. Don't deny me. I know you want me, too. I can see it."

His face became contorted once more at my request, with a confused mixture of yearning and repentance. Wordlessly, he shook his head, relaxing and tensing his fists once more.

"Emmett, take me. _Please_," I murmured. "I want you to."

The wind came to a howling swirl around us, and I was too caught up in my sexual fantasy and emotional turmoil to notice the scents it brought around us.

"Bears," he whispered, his eyes widening.

"Bears?" I asked, not understanding his response. I then realized the scent and became enraged. I pushed it aside, determined to make something happen.

Emmett's fixation was no longer amusing to me, nor was his use of it an excuse to get out of this situation. "No, Emmett. Like I said, we can do this. I… I want to do this."

"About 35 feet from here, I hear them walking," he said, his expression plotting, calculating. The rage was building up inside me as I watched his eyes dance back and forth while he tried to figure out his plan of attack. It was like he had selective hearing.

"Emmett!" I exclaimed, frustrated. "I am throwing myself at you, and all you can think about is hunting and appeasing your stupid thirst?" I asked incredulously, practically yelling at him through my teeth. "Didn't we just have a couple of bison?"

He let out a vampire hiss, and without even looking back at me, he turned and headed in the direction towards the bear.

Embittered, I watched him disappear. I began to shake as resentment washed over me.

I knew I should follow him and make sure he didn't go off hunting humans, but I just wasn't in the mood to be around him. I began to head home, holding my torn blouse together on my chest with one hand.

I almost felt violated. This was the closest to my first true sexual endeavor, and because of my past horrible experience, I was left hanging on every bit of fragile self-dignity.

However, far more than anything else I felt at this moment, the uneasy tidal wave of first time blatant rejection tore at my insides. I was beside myself.

Every single moment of his indifference and cold nature flashed through my mind. Every effort I had made to gain is attention, to assist him in his struggles, to guide him in his vampire youth, paraded before me in my mind, replacing each tree in the forest as I worked to swerve to miss them in my run.

Slowly, but surely, the unique vulnerability I had acquired from his presence in my life was fading, my patience for him along with it. I began to feel myself regressing to the resentful, bitter, female vampire I had always been before his arrival.

I felt myself becoming _me_ again.

_Rosalie Hale has returned…_

_And I will _not_ stand for this._

* * *

Hey folks! Please don't kill me for the unfinished lemon! There is a bit more to their story before they hop into the bed of happily ever after, so I hope you enjoy the ride!

Vanity and Patience made it to the Final Round of **The Indie Twific Awards for Best Canon (WIP)!** Voting will begin from this **Wednesday, 7/22 at 9pm to next Sunday, 7/26**. To cast your votes for V&P and other amazing fics, during that time, please visit:** TheIndieTwificAwards DOT com** and click on the _**vote**_ tab.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feeds my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

And if you like the story and want to discuss that or anything further, please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-twilight on Twilighted DOT net.


	16. Chapter 15: The Return

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: No lemons or violence this time, but sex is always implied.**

After about a week of writer's block, I finally have a chapter for you. Sorry for the wait!

Vanity and Patience made it to the Final Round of **The Indie Twific Awards for Best Canon (WIP)!** Voting has extended until tomorrow, t**Wednesday, 7/29 at Midnight, eastern time**. To cast your votes for V&P and other amazing fics, during that time, please visit:** TheIndieTwificAwards DOT com** and click on the _**vote**_ tab.

**Playlist:**

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam/Allure and 112 – All Cried Out  
Crossfade – Cold  
Leona Lewis – Better in time  
Fergie – Fergielicous

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Return**

One morning, four weeks later, as I got ready for school, I stood in front of my mirror, door locked, drapes shut, naked. I examined my breast, where there were crescent shaped scars from Emmett's bite above and below my left nipple. I grimaced. My perfect flesh was now tarnished forever. Human eyes would never be able to detect this flaw, but my eyes would always see it.

My thoughts wandered back to that night. I was swallowed whole by his airy dismissal of my offer— my vulnerable offer—of my flesh to him. Even more so, I had practically served myself to him wholeheartedly, my body, my mind, and my heart. I felt like I was drowning helplessly in a sea of humiliation, my pride getting pulled away from me and ripped apart by its strong currents.

As my dignity had been obliterated, the bitterness filled me, and, rather than lose my self-worth altogether, I gathered it with all of my strength and called upon the person I always was before.

Upon reaching the house that night, Edward was walking toward me on the lawn. "Where is he?" he asked, cautiously. His expression was one of concern, with a hint of guilt. I knew he'd read my mind as I had returned home. I did not need to inform him of what had transpired that night.

"I don't know. I'm not his keeper," I snapped at him.

"I should have been the one to take him," he muttered, clearly blaming himself. I watched his eyes flash at my hand that was clutching my blouse together before averting them from me completely.

"Maybe you should have," I retorted cuttingly, venom spitting with my words. "You're all just selfish pigs that don't know right from wrong anyway."

"Did you see where he was headed?" he asked. "Rosalie, I'm sorry for what he did to you, but you can't just leave him like that."

I felt a sharp tinge of guilt hit a soft spot in my dead heart. Edward was right. I reluctantly replayed Emmett hissing at me as he charged away, but I refused to answer Edward's question aloud. My humiliation was too overwhelming to verbalize it. "I'm going inside," I spat, turning my nose up at him.

As I snuck past Carlisle and Esme's room and entered mine, that tinge of guilt grew like a bubble in my chest, constricting my already dead organs. No matter how much I wanted to give into my true self and hold onto my pride, I had to make one last desperate attempt to be understanding of Emmett's situation.

Hours passed and they still had not returned home. I grew worried, the bubble of guilt expanding and pressing against my ribcage. I stood at my window, trying to calm myself. My eyes surveyed the vast forest before me, looking like a cluster of black silhouettes against the navy moonlit sky.

I finally noticed the branches of a large spruce shudder out of time with the rest of the forest, and I knew it had to be them. The bubble now fell to the pit of my stomach, rolling and rocking me with guilt and fear. I flung myself out the window, making a soft landing, and met them on the lawn.

"Emmett, are you all right?" I asked gently, my voice small, as I walked slowly towards them.

His face, appearing out of the darkness of the trees, was expressionless. His eyes flickered to me for a microsecond before focusing past me and to the house. He practically brushed my shoulder as he completely ignored me, heading inside.

"Emmett," I breathed, my small voice now a tiny sob.

Edward followed him immediately, his face stern and disapproving. He grabbed my arm as he saw me motion towards Emmett's direction. "No, Rosalie," he ordered. "Let him go. Both of you need to step away right now."

I shot daggers at him with my eyes. "Don't you dare tell me what to do!" I exclaimed. "You can't possibly know what I need." I ran past Edward, calling unsuccessfully after Emmett as he dragged himself into the house.

Rolling his eyes, Edward walked passed me, shaking his head at my unwillingness to listen to him.

I hissed back at him.

Carlisle and Esme appeared with a gust of wind.

"Rosalie, what in the world—" Esme began.

"What has gotten into you?" Carlisle asked on top of Esme's question.

Both of them froze as they took in my appearance. I had neglected to change out of my shirt, tying it in a knot in my haste as I flew out my window to talk to Emmett. I crossed my arms over my chest as I realized I was still wearing the torn and tattered blouse.

"What happened to you, Rose?" Carlisle asked. His eyes were wide as he took in my appearance.

Before I could even think, my eyes switched over to Emmett. He had halted on the porch, standing with his side facing us.

His eyes grew wide in horror as he realized everyone's sight had traveled the same path as mine, to his now abashed expression. His mouth dropped in dismay.

"You should ask _him_," I spat.

"It's nothing," Edward intervened, walking over to Emmett to try to drag him into the house. "Everything is fine now."

"Everything is fine _now_?" Carlisle inquired, and his voice was shaky with concern. "What happened?"

I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but seemed the blood of our hunt tonight caused the creamy white cheeks of both Emmett and I to burn a slight pink at the level of our utter humiliation. Physically impossible for that to ever be true, my shame had me hallucinating two vampires blushing in the night. Emmet was now facing down to the floor, and I turning my face to the side. Neither of us was able to meet their gaze.

"Oh," Esme sighed. "Oh! You—oh," she stammered, realizing what may have taken place.

Carlisle, staring at his wife's reaction, now switched glances from me to Emmett. "Oh, I see," he said softly.

Emmett's chest was rising and falling hard, his nostrils flaring and contracting, in obvious remorse and discomfiture.

The family stood in painful silence for several moments before anyone was able to move or speak.

I began to quiver in anger and awkwardness. Clearly he wasn't going to speak to anyone tonight, and I had about enough of him this evening. "Please let me go inside," I begged, trying to hide the sobbing in my voice.

Silently everyone moved aside, allowing me to pass them as I bolted through the door and into the house. I returned to my room, leaning my head against the door in extreme confusion. I was filled with guilt, sadness, and regret. My pride was shredded, and shame weighed down on me. I paced around in my room before I sat on my couch for a long moment, dazed. After which, I grew tired of sitting so I stood up, staring out the window at the navy sky, my eyes focused on nothing.

"Rosalie," I heard Esme call as she knocked softly at my door after a couple of hours.

"Go away," I whispered, trying not to sound hasty, but the resentment poured into my voice uncontrollably. I had frozen like a statue, standing in the middle of my room as I had unconsciously shifted to stare at myself in the mirror that hung behind my opened closet door.

"Please, let me come in. I'd love to talk to you," she offered kindly.

"Esme, please, just… I want to be left alone," I breathed with a cutting undertone. I knew she meant well, but I wasn't in the mood for any peptalks, or discussions about sex.

"Ok, well, if you need to talk…" she said, letting her voice trail away.

I didn't respond, and I heard her footsteps faintly disappear. I felt guilty for refusing to talk to Esme, but irritation and shame flooded my mind. I was in no mood to have company.

For the first few days after our incident in the forest, I tried to reach out to him. I had dutifully put aside all of my anger and resentment of his refusal to have me, so that I may be there for him like I always had been. I tried to keep my head on straight. I hated to see all my effort to support him, and work to improve our relationship become mottled and worn out.

When others were not in hearing distance I would try to talk to him, but it was to no avail. He would turn away and act like I didn't exist. I didn't understand him, and I grew irritated that we had now reverted completely to our relationship from months ago— him being cold and indifferent. His indifference was beyond my comprehension, and those two weeks were torturous. After the many months of working to try to get us closer, we were abruptly torn apart because of one foolish evening.

This angered me. I had hit rock bottom; so worn out from eating at my self-worth for this man. I had nothing else to do but to return the cold shoulder these past couple of weeks that he gave me after such an intimate moment we shared in the forest.

My recollection now faded and brought me back to consciousness as I still stood naked in front of my vanity. Gingerly, I traced the crescent scars on my bare breast with my fingers. The knowledge that they would always be there forever disturbed me to no end. This was it. I was through with being patient and kind. I was past swallowing my pride and putting aside my hurt and anger. I would not let one man take who I was and ruin me. I refuse.

_The true Rosalie Hale is back._

As it became evident to him that I was being just as cold, his attitude began to turn. I would enter a room and he would stand like a perfectly normal gentleman, removing his hat, if he wore one. If I were to ever walk by him he'd tip his head or nod to acknowledge me. Although a small part of me really wanted to smile and run to him, a larger part of me would take over, and I would just turn my nose up at him and continue to ignore him.

Getting ready for school, I quickly slipped on a new chiffon day dress. I was slowly humming and brushing my long hair at my vanity. Emmett, Edward, and I were hunting until dawn that morning. Esme and Carlisle decided to succumb to a moment of passion once again and, in turn, none of us really wanted to listen to our parents have sex. I had to brush out my tangles as the mountain lion from our hunt had struggled too much for me to save my hair from becoming a mess.

Thankfully Edward was there to be the bridge and ease the tension between Emmett and myself. He would talk to Emmett and me separately, but never tried to push us to talk to each other. Mind-reading helped him know that he had no chance convincing us to speak to one another.

After dressing, I sat at my vanity to apply my makeup. My face was frozen in a scowl; an _attractive _scowl. I hardly needed any makeup, but a dab here and there further accentuated the many positives of my features.

I couldn't help but study the aesthetic angles my face possessed in my reflection in the vanity. No matter what expression my muscles conjured to display, it was always beautiful. My scowl was now slowly transforming into a smug grin. My looks were the only thing in this world that could be counted upon. All else was failing, and the mirror was becoming my best friend again.

I checked myself in my full-length mirror before heading down our two flights of stairs and into the garage where I had left my belongings from the previous day.

Immediately, I noted a green and white object atop my belongings. Left to rest on my schoolbooks were three daisies tied with a leaf. My stomach churned suddenly at the sight. I looked up and caught Emmett peering out the window at me. He dashed quickly from my view into another part of the house. This unexpected gesture warmed my ice-cold heart, stirring up my reckless longing for him, but I couldn't let him get to me. I was sick of the mixed messages.

Sick.

Tired.

Exhausted.

I had to be firm and stick to my guns.

I walked briskly to the trash to throw it them out, but I couldn't find the will to do it. I stared momentarily at the delicate flowers that sat in my diamond hard hand. I shut my eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. I just couldn't do it. I ended up smashing them between books to hide the fact that I would bring it them to school with me that way, thus pressing and preserving the flowers.

I heard stirring in the house and realized he was once again watching me from the window. I quickly brushed my hands together over the trashcan, making a show that I had tossed the flowers, even though I really hadn't.

I sat in class all day trying to recollect the meaning of flowers. I had studied them in the months of my wedding planning for the large high-society nuptial soiree in Rochester with the deceiving asshole. My mother helped me decipher meanings of endless flowers breeds and their colors as we sat in the library. She knew a bit about them herself as her own mother— whose family once owned a flower shop—passed down some botanical knowledge onto her during her childhood.

Daisies were a symbol of innocence, but sometimes there were also used to express loyal love. I shook off the thought as I realized that Emmett couldn't be putting that together for me. Could he be clever enough to know the meaning of flowers, and to leave them for me as a way of sending a message? I chuckled to myself. Surely, he could never be that smooth.

The drive home was silent between Edward and myself. I continued to stare out of the window, gazing absentmindedly at my somber reflection while the grey haze of the rainy day grew. Streams of water in its heavy downpour trickled down the pane, and I let my thoughts get lost in them before I noticed a truly beautiful, but sad face in my image. I smiled then, flashing my brilliant razor sharp teeth, turning to my side to admire my delicate cheekbones.

_I was beautiful, and worth more than a tired bunch of measly daisies_, I thought to myself.

I could almost feel Edward roll his eyes as he coughed at my thought, but I ignored it. Then, he was pulling up to our house and into the garage.

Immediately, I stiffened as a large, muscular form sat at the steps of the garage; no doubt waiting for our arrival. He stood up, pulling his hat off of his head as I stepped out of the car.

"Afternoon, Edward," he said as Edward gave him a large pat on his back.

"Emmett! Lets hunt later, before the game," Edward smiled before stepping into the house.

"You shred it, wheat," Emmett chuckled and nodded at him before he turned to me, looking a bit timid and anxious. "Good afternoon, Miss Rosalie," he greeted me slowly. His eyes, the color of the flesh found in blood oranges, looked hopeful and pleading.

Focusing directly past him, I pushed my way through the door into the house, my face devoid of emotion. I caught his expression as I snubbed him. It was full of regret and disappointment, and secretly my heart broke for him. However, I did not turn back to look at him as I swayed my hips up the staircase.

Taking my books up to my room, I leaned against the door, and shut my eyes as I took a deep, trembling breath. The brief sight of Emmett's expression filled my already breaking heart. Avoiding him was harder than I thought.

I carefully pulled the dried daisies out from between my books and placed them into the bottom right drawer of my vanity, placing it between the folds of a lovely lace handkerchief.

I inhaled and exhaled loudly, as I walked over to sit on my couch.

What had made him change so much now that his attitude towards me was markedly different?

_But of course_, a voice in my mind said. _You're Rosalie Hale. What man could ever resist you?_

I sighed to myself, smiling once again. I couldn't help but agree.

_And I intend to make him pay for everything he's ever done to me._

*****

One night, several days later, I found myself in the garage working on the Bentley. I was getting better at auto care. In fact,Carlisle leaned on me heavily to do his maintenance work. It was the evening and Edward and I were in the garage. He was working on his Volvo as I loomed over the Bentley's hood.

Edward hummed a familiar tune as we worked, and I ended up humming along with him. Our pride held us to trying to hide our smiles from each other, but somehow I found myself unwillingly enjoying this time I spent with him. I found this was fast becoming the only place, besides the occasional sharing of the piano, where my brother and I were in sync.

"Let me help with that," Emmett insisted, entering the garage in a white t-shirt and a pair of backless bib denim overalls.

Looking upward, I blatantly rolled my eyes before sinking my head deeper into the hood of the car as I worked. I wasn't going to show a reaction to him.

I stuck my bottom out a little more, knowing that my shapely rear was accentuated in the linen, fire engine red, sweetheart overalls I wore today. They were wide legged, that came in at the waist, with a sweetheart neckline and straps that crisscrossed on my back. My hair was swept up in a golden ponytail and a matching red and yellow handkerchief was wrapped aroud my head to keep my tendrils from falling in my face. My feet stood on Ferragamo, yellow leather-upper, wine-cork wedge sandals, the first of its kind. It made me about four inches taller, and emphasized my long legs. The weather was nippy for such an outfit, as it was the mountains in the end of April, but my vampire flesh would feel the warmth in otherwise chilly weather to humans.

I looked _good_. In fact, I put all my effort into looking even better than my best lately, given the current circumstances. I even applied a gentle mist of Chanel No. 5 for emphasis to my already sweet scent. _He was going to regret refusing me._

He walked past me, and in the reflection of the engine I didn't miss his eyes glancing across my body. I grinned to myself wickedly. I rather enjoyed such attention from him, especially since I had worked so hard for it in the beginning.

I continued to hum as I worked, Emmett assisting Edward as I did so. I could feel Emmett's eyes on me once in a while, but I kept my head away from him. I would bend over more often, giving him either a full view of my rear, or down the sweetheart neckline into my cleavage. His eyes would definitely follow where I thought they would, even though he would try with great effort to focus elsewhere.

Edward would look up and roll his eyes periodically at us both, clearing his throat to remind us of his presence. We still continued to hum songs together as we did so, Emmett joining in.

I wrinkled my brow in response as I gave him a sideways glance. I didn't realize he could carry a tune, but I wasn't about to compliment him on it.

After a long moment of ignoring them both, and working on refastening the cylinder head bolts as diligently as I could, I reached for a tool in my orange toolbox.

I tried looking for my spark plug gapper, but it seemed to be misplaced.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Emmett asked. He held up the shiny metal disk.

Snatching it from him, I gritted my teeth. I pretended not to show that I noticed the immediate spark at the feel of his hand when I grabbed the gapper from him. I slipped it into my pocket for safekeeping, realizing I had forgotten to do two more things before replacing the spark plugs.

As he stood there watching me, he was obviously waiting for me to respond, but I never did. I continued to ignore him as I worked to adjust the carburetor and replace the air filter. "Um, you're welcome?" he finally offered.

I rolled my eyes again, and measured the spark plug gaps silently. After a minute, I caught Emmett move away towards Edward again as I kept my concentration on the task at hand.

"Do you have a tapered gauge feeler?" I asked Edward. "Mine isn't tapered."

Edward motioned towards his toolbox. "Yes, I have one in my—"

Before Edward could finish his sentence, Emmett whipped around with his strong hand stretched towards me, the tapered feeler revealed on his large palm as his long thick fingers opened. He had rolled up his sleeves so that his shoulders and upper arms were showing. He smiled at me with his eyes still wide and buoyant—and _those dimples_.

_Damn those dimples. _

My nose flared as I pursed my lips. I loved his shoulders and his arms, and those dimples were the death of my resolve and strength. Hastily, I grabbed the tool from him, and finished tuning the engine at vampire speed before flying out of the garage and into the house.

I spent that whole evening hiding out in my room and reading up on school. Finals were about to commence in about a month or two, and I wasn't going to let_ him_ distract me from my studies.

*****

Two evenings later, the whole family sat in the living room discussing plans for college. We had chosen a local college in Boone, North Carolina, just two hours southeast of Appalachia.

"So all of you will be attending Appalachian State Teacher's College as freshmen this coming fall semester," Carlisle stated.

"Do we _all _need to attend?" I asked, wryly. "I mean, how necessary is it to have me and _my brothers_ all in the same school?"

I felt Emmett's eyes on me as I referred to him as a brother, a momentary expression of shock across his face. It wasn't that I thought of him as a brother, but it was his choice not to be more than friends, and being under the same roof with the same parents only gave us one other option. It's not like I never offered more to him. It was his fault for turning down such an offer.

"Well," Carlisle replied, "I think the progress Emmett has achieved in his control so far shows that he can handle such challenges as attending school come the completion of his first year. The sooner he is acclimated to our lifestyle, the sooner he will not need our assistance."

I couldn't help but snort at the mention of Emmett's "progress in control."

Carlisle shot me a stern look before continuing. "Edward's attendance will assist in case there should be an issue. I wouldn't want the burden to fall solely in your hands, Rosalie."

"I agree with you; it _is _quite a burden," I muttered.

"Rose," Esme warned softly, her perfect eyebrows scrunching together in sad disapproval.

Carlisle let out a sigh and then said, "I think it would be beneficial to have all of you in school together. It would give you a great opportunity to develop your relationships with one another, be it siblings... or whatever you wish." He stated the last sentence with his eyes switching between Emmett and myself for a moment before focusing once again. "You'd also have each other to study with as well."

Emmett straightened up in his seat eagerly as he heard the plan. I sunk in further into the cushions of the couch, laying my feet onto the olive green ottoman before me and crossing them at my ankles. I exhaled loudly, my irritation quite obvious to everyone.

Ignoring me, Carlisle continued. "It would be good that one or both of you should be in each of Emmett's classes for extra precaution. I know by September his first year will be over, but we have to be smart about this, just in case." His eyes looked towards Edward and me, seeking our acceptance of his request.

Edward nodded in agreement, grinning encouragingly at Emmett. _Maybe _they_ could be the lovebirds now. _Edward shot me a glare in response my thought.

"Aces!" Emmett smiled at Carlisle and slowly turned to me. Clearly he was enthusiastic at the idea of sharing classes with me. "That sounds great_._ I'm sure we'd all have fun. I've never been to col—" but I cut him off.

"Is that really necessary?" I inquired, talking over Emmett and turning away from him as he spoke. I looked down at my nails nonchalantly, admiring my reflection in their sheen. "I grow tired of being a toddler's babysitter," I mumbled cuttingly.

"Rosalie!" Esme exclaimed, shooting me a look of frustration and castigation.

"What?" I asked innocently. "It's the truth."

Edward began mumbling a string of unintelligible foolishness in my direction, which I gladly ignored, tuning him out with a song in my head.

I glanced over at Emmett whose eyes had become hurt at my statement, the corners of his mouth curling down slightly. Inside, I felt guilty, and I couldn't help but feel his hurt as well, but my pride was in the driver's seat and would not give away the steering wheel.

"Well, Rosalie, if you feel that way, when the second semester starts, you may do as you wish and enroll in different courses. Your schedule can be completely independent than that of Emmett and Edward. It shouldn't be too difficult as the move the Washington state will require all of you to change schools anyway."

"Washington?" all three of us asked in unison, complete shock rendered on all of our faces.

"Yes, I have accepted a transfer for Washington change come to starting late this November in a town called Hoquiam. Wise County and the town of Appalachia have been good to us, but I think it's time for us to leave. That northwestern tip of Washington provides a lot of wildlife for nutrition, and with its overcast and rainy weather for most of the year. It's perfect for us."

It shouldn't have been a shock that we were moving. We had moved once before, from my town of Rochester, if only because they couldn't keep me locked forever behind closed doors. I was the prettiest girl in town, and affianced to the son of Royce King, their family much like royalty in that town. No doubt I'd be recognized. It was only necessary that after my newborn year in hiding, we'd move away. I also knew that Edward, Esme, and Carlisle moved anywhere between two to three times per decade. I just didn't realize we'd be moving again so soon.

"So we're moving in November, but fall semester ends in December. What's the point?" I asked.

"I intend to keep this house, as with all our other homes. You three may stay behind to finish your semester, while Esme and I prepare the new home for you."

"We enroll in college, and then we shall start high school again?" Edward asked, bewildered.

"I'll leave that up to each of you to decide for yourselves. If you would like to start all over again and enroll in the local secondary school, that's fine. If not, we can work on getting you all transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, or something to that effect. Agreed?" Carlisle's eyes switched to each of ours. "Of course, that would mean that our stay would have to be shorter, given the circumstance that none of you can barely pass for 22."

We all nodded wordlessly, various degrees of residual shock in our expressions.

"Esme's been drawing out plans to build a new home in the Hoquiam forests. I think you'd be pleased with her work. It's quite amazing." His hand squeezed his wife's fingers encouragingly, as he said this.

He and Esme both smiled at each other lovingly, before Esme turned to us. "It will be larger than this home, and this time I followed the footsteps of Frank Lloyd Wright. He's made amazing contribution to the architecture world with his organic design, and I want to bring that to our home." Her wide, golden eyes shined with excitement. "I'll be sharing the blueprints with you as they are finalized. This will be so exciting."

You had to love Esme's passion for design and creativity. I couldn't help but return the smile back to her. I knew she would come up with something fabulous, and hearing _larger than this home_ had me reeling, I must admit.

As we eventually disbanded from the family gathering, I walked up to my room in a daze_._

_Moving to Washington._

My mind jumped immediately to my human family. It had never bothered me to move before because living in Virginia, we were still on the same coast. I'd always been comforted by the idea that I could easily take a drive and watch them from time to time. It quickly dawned on me that I'd be across the country from them, and far less likely to see them when I so desired. It had been months since I'd gone, having refrained from doing so since my last fiasco with Ronnie Jr. I decided I would go the next day, and flew down the stairs to ask Carlisle for his permission to use the Bentley.

I prepared to get everything ready for my trip, deciding on a long, straight chestnut brown wig and dark glasses, and choosing a cinnamon colored button dress from my closet. The next morning, I walked passed Emmett and Edward speaking to one another in the kitchen, _the lovebirds at their best._

Edward growled at me while Emmett did a double-take at my outfit.

I felt Emmett's puzzled glance, but ignored it as I gathered my belongings into my purse.

"She's going to see her human parents," Edward explained softly.

"I see," he said. "She's a dish as a brunette, but I think I prefer her blonde," I heard Emmett comment. "She's one sweet mama with that golden hair."

I rolled my eyes as I walked over to the mirror in the kitchen to give myself one last look before leaving. However, I was thrilled inside to hear him speak of my looks so positively. The affirmation of his attraction to me was soothing; an attraction that _every_ man had for me— and now Emmett.

Edward coughed at my train of thought. "Really? I think I like brunettes better," Edward said with a smirk as he stared at me from the corner of his eye. "_Natural_ brunettes, that is."

_Such a pill_, I thought towards him. He knew it always got to me that he never found me romantically interesting. _At least my hair doesn't look like a hat-sized copper penny exploded on my head. _

"Well, she's certainly a broad who could pull anything off," Emmett countered, gazing at me appreciatively.

I huffed as I ignored him and stepped out into the garage. I stopped immediately at the car.

There, on the hood was a bunch of white lilacs, and on top sat a single white rose— a vendella rose to be exact; the petals were a creamy off-white with a hint of pink on the edges. _A symbol of innocence and purity_, I thought to myself.

I lifted the single rose to smell its sweet aroma. It was the most beautiful flower I'd ever seen yet, and that was saying a lot since I'd received a many flowers during my short courtship with Royce. It was insanely romantic, but I wasn't about to give in so easily, quickly placing it back on top of the lilacs.

I paused for a moment as another thought entered my brain. White lilacs stood for first love. I fought with all my strength not to swoon at the thought, which could very well be incorrect. I was beyond being a fool any longer and could afford no mistakes.

I looked into the kitchen. Edward was gone, but there Emmett still stood. His back was turned to me, but I could see that his cheek was turned up on one side. Could it possibly be a smile? I bit back the yearning for him. I had to put it back up on a shelf and concentrate on my resentment.

The smile, I presumed, was a response to the fact that I had picked up the rose and smelled it at all. I gritted my teeth and stepped back into the house.

He turned to face me, his citrine eyes growing wide with hope, as he probably thought I came in to approach him. "Miss Rosalie?"

Staring straight at him, I stepped towards the trash can, and dropped the flowers into it, petals flying in their wake. The room grew silent, my eyes never leaving his as I insulted him to his face.

His eyebrows rose in sadness and disdain, and I held my face as serene as I could. My heart secretly ached for the beautiful gifts of nature from Emmett that I had just tossed into the garbage. More than anything though, I ached for him, and it rattled my insides to watch him hurt like that, but I couldn't let anything show.

_He could buy me all the flowers in the world, and I still would not yield. _

* * *

Again, to vote for V&P at **The Indie Twific Awards for Best Canon (WIP),** and other amazing fics, during that time, please visit:** TheIndieTwificAwards DOT com** and click on the _**vote**_ tab. Voting has extended until tomorrow, **Wednesday, 7/29 at Midnight, eastern time**.

To Hawkins and her Fic "Fate is a Cruel Harpy" for the idea of communication through flowers and their meanings. Flowers were an original part of this chapter, but I added the meanings after Hawkins' generous permission to use her idea. It thus added some layers to the chapter and for that I thank you!

Also, my apologies to any mechanics out there. I know nothing about cars, so the whole "tuning an engine" was a big challenge, lol. Please forgive me if I didn't do it much justice. If you have any suggestions, send me a PM.

**1930's Vocabulary:**

_Aces_ – Very good, excellent, outstanding

_You shred it, wheat_ – You said it

_Dish/Sweet mama_ – an attractive woman

_Broad -_ woman

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight at the URL listed below:

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	17. Chapter 16: Scheming

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version. **_

**Chapter Specific Warning: A lemon squeeze exists in this chapter, and sex is always implied ;)**

Thank you to my betas: Beth, aka Ledybug, and Lisa, aka cfmom

Playlist:

Madonna – Papa Don't Preach  
Pussycat Dolls – Don't Cha  
Puddle of Mudd - She Fucking Hates Me  
Tyrese – How You Gonna Act Like That  
Backstreet Boys – Quit Playing Games with My Heart  
Kings of Leon – Use Somebody

* * *

**Chapter 15: Scheming**

Turning on my heels, I marched into the garage, slipping into the car and peeling out into the driveway and on to drive up north to upstate New York. I didn't miss that Emmett's face had slipped into chagrin as I left, standing helplessly as I glared at him in the eye and threw away a perfectly beautiful bunch of white lilacs, and the most beautiful vendella rose in existence. I had to get away, my face falling and my insides shattering into a million pieces at the memory of his mouth hung open, the corners turned down in pain from my rejection.

I spent hours on my drive up to Rochester thinking about my life, my situation, and Emmett. I knew I was being heartless and cruel. I knew that I couldn't go on like this forever. I knew I couldn't just take his gifts when I wanted him to suffer like I had. I wanted him to work to win me over, the way I had tried to win him over in the beginning.

I deserve that much.

Reaching Rochester, I parked five blocks from my family's home, and flew to spy on them as I scaled tree nearby. No one was home. I realized it was 1:30pm on a Sunday, and they'd be attending church.

I waited for an hour. Luckily, I remembered to bring a book. I opened up my copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and let it wash me away to the late 1800s, living as a human girl with three sisters.

It was my second time reading the book, having read it when I was a human fifteen year old girl. I was a bit annoyed that Jo March turned down Laurie's proposal. I know I would have never done that, and it irritated me when I first read it. What was there not to like about him? He was gorgeous and wealthy. Fritz, the German professor who she did end up with, was old, poor, and in my mind, not as handsome. I related much better to the youngest sister, Amy, the girly one who dreamed of marrying Laurie and live in his large home since her childhood. She eventually did and I admired that she was able to make her dreams come true. Jo was an awkward tomboy who I could never look up to, with my very young and shallow thoughts.

As I contemplated this now, reading it a second time with my vampire eyes, I realized that Jo wasn't in love with Laurie at all. Laurie was helplessly devoted to her, and, though Jo valued his friendship and loved him dearly, she had other aspirations in her life, and wasn't a fan of change. She was also too immature then to know what she wanted, and didn't want to be forced into a position where she was to either marry Laurie or lose him forever as a friend. She just wanted his friendship, and for everything to fall back to when they were children.

When she finally matured and could accept change in her life, she found a modest man who shared the same passions as her own. Sure he was old, and probably not as goodlooking, but his support and encouragement made her a stronger woman. She had found true love in a place where she never thought she would. I started to notice how much I admired her for not taking the easy way out in marrying the wealth, handsome cliché, and trying to find her true happiness instead.

I sighed as all the love and romance in the book brought me to think about Emmett. I wondered briefly if my indifference to him was bringing me more suffering than it brought me joy or justice.

I heard a car approach, and I sunk further into the tree. It was my parents and brothers, and another car behind them. I frowned. I knew that Rolls Royce anywhere.

_What were my parents doing with the Kings? _

Stepping out was Mr. and Mrs. Royce King, and their youngest daughter, Janice. Janice was probably 16 now, with platinum blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the sky, much like her brother's. I shuddered at the memory of the eyes so similar that had deceived me to my near death. A thrill rushed through me as a glimpse of his terror-stricken, sky blue irises right before I killed him entered my mind. She wore a trapeze cut blue and white dress, and I couldn't help to note the way she had filled out these couple of years.

I overheard my family's conversation with the Kings. Apparently they had invited them over for brunch. Both of my brothers had grown taller once again—mostly Ronnie, who was fast becoming a strappy, young fellow. My father's hair had silvered over time, as had my mom's blonde hair now also become slightly grey.

I listened to them chitchat with the Kings for a few awkward moments until they suddenly came down to business. My jaw dropped as I heard the news, nearly falling out of the tree as I had leaned closer to the house subconsciously and almost lost my balance.

Richard, the second oldest, had put Janice in a delicate condition, and they were now discussing arrangements of the unplanned pregnancy.

My stomach began to twist, tying itself into knots, and I felt immediately sick. I struggled to concentrate and filter out the noise of their surrounding neighbors, but the human feeling of nausea was giving me quite a challenge to overcome.

Janice and Richard with a baby. A Hale and King baby.

Apparently, they had kept it from their parents long enough, and Janice was beginning to show. The Kings demanded money from my family—money that they didn't have—to help pay for Janice's boarding school so she could go away to have the baby and give it up for adoption. However, my parents were insisting to keep the baby, and that Richard and Janice be married as soon as possible.

_Of course they would._

I growled to myself. I was angry.

There was no doubt in my mind that they still desired to be tied to the Kings in some way. Somehow they didn't see the connection of my death and disappearance with the murder of my late fiancé. This upset me because even then, Carlisle and Edward figured out who my assailant was before I awoke as a vampire, when they were practically just strangers to me.

How could my own flesh and blood ignore the rumors spreading around town that Royce and his friends had something to do with my disappearance; that the blood found in the streets near his friends house was mine, and that their murders were directly related to my death?

It seemed neither his parents, nor mine, would ever think Royce II would be capable of such a thing. My resentment towards my mother and father grew, yet I knew they couldn't be held completely to blame.

I was silly. I was a silly human girl with shallow aspirations—too thrilled at the idea of marrying Royce, the handsome son of the wealthiest family in town, to see what was actually there. Both of us loved to be seen with each other in public, never taking the time alone to get to know one another. We were just each other's trophy. He was always so "busy" with his father's banking business, and I was too busy with large preparations for a lavish wedding and scribbling my name with "King" at the end of it. Royce was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Would my mother and father really want me to be with him if they knew what a monster he was after several strong drinks?

Disgusted, I bolted for the car, driving home as I shook with frustration.

My brother got Royce's sister pregnant.

I thought of the baby Richard and Janice were about to have, and a pang hit my stomach. I immediately pictured the babies I would have had—the babies that would unite the Hale and King bloodlines—now to be Janice and my brother's baby instead. It was a petty reaction, but it felt like a slap to my never changing immortal face. Like dangling it in front of me, I was reminded of what I could have had, if my life was a true happy ending. I could have had the fair haired children running around in the lawns of the King Estate with Royce.

_Royce. _

I couldn't even _think _his name without the venom boiling in my veins.

_What a bullet I dodged there. _

He was evil and a monster, and if anything, he was the antagonist in my story if my life was a novel. In one evening he managed to take everything away from me, all of my dreams, and my fairytale life I lived as a human.

I then thought of Emmett, and with _Little Women_ fresh on my mind, I wondered what he would be to my story—my fairytale, had I been Jo. Was he Fritz or was he Laurie?

I considered that Emmett may just be the embodiment of the best of both worlds. He was the ever charming and fun-loving character of Laurie—of whose friendship Jo treasured dearly, yet could offer the humble, yet strong support of all of my being like Fritz—of whose companionship Jo wanted for life. With Emmett, I would never have to be forced to make a choice like Jo did; he was the _only _choice. Catching myself from almost sighing at my loving daze about him, I frowned. How could one simple man be so much for me? He was just Emmett.

_Just Emmett._

Could he ever be _just _Emmett to me? Just thinking his name brought so much emotion to my being. I couldn't help but wonder if my visiting my family today had brought me to consider that my situation could be worse; I could be in hell with Royce, instead of an unchanging eternity in this life, with a beautiful angel named Emmett by my side.

I shook off the thought. I knew it wouldn't be that easy. Life certainly wasn't ever that easy, and had not been since I've been stuck in this eternal purgatory of immortality. Even when it seemed I found some happiness in another man, it didn't work out for me. Nothing ever did. I began to sob quietly during my ride, feeling an overwhelming storm of self-pity.

_Maybe it was good we were moving away_, I reluctantly thought to myself.

*****

The next Monday, at school, I managed to get through the day without dying of boredom. Throughout the day, I continually felt myself being watched as I sashayed my hips down the hallways between classes. The boys would stare, while the girls would glare. Such was my daily life; always adored my one sex, and hated by the other. I made my best effort to strut out of the school's double doors on my way to Edward's navy blue Volvo.

Cracking the car door open, I slipped into the passenger seat gracefully and adjusted the side-view mirror so it faced my direction.

"Why must you do that? You know I need my mirrors," he chided.

"Oh please, Edward. You could drive with your eyes shut," I retorted, rolling my eyes. I leaned back on my seat, watching the world go by in the window. We rode in silence for a while.

I thought briefly about my natural parents, and my brother having Janice King's baby and what a stinging feeling that left me. I couldn't help as the antipathy for my parents grew. How could they force my brother to marry Janice? Shouldn't that be a decision my brother and Janice should make for themselves?

I felt Edward's eyes dart towards me. I realized then that I hadn't spoken about this to anyone; he was the first one to find out. He pursed his lips, but it was not in a negative manner. It seemed he was pondering on something.

I ignored it, continuing with my train of thought. I decided that I didn't want to go back to visit my family anymore. It was probably for the best that I move on, and our impending relocation to the west coast was just the way to do it.

"Don't hate them," he said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Your parents; don't hate them," he replied, gently, switching his eyes over to me momentarily as he drove.

I turned to him sharply, my eyes a bit surprised at his intrusion into my thoughts.

"You shouldn't blame them for Royce's wrong doings. What happened to you was tragic but there was no way they would have known. They're just trying to fix your brother's life, even if it's with that family. Don't punish them for it. You may regret it one day."

"I don't think it's any of your business," I snapped at him. I stepped out of the car and began to walk in, when I saw a small vase containing one rose next to my toolbox.

_Emmett_, I thought to myself. _My Henry. My Fritz and Laurie rolled into one brawny package. _

My heart warmed at the gesture privately, yet I was still upset with him. I couldn't help recalling the meaning of flowers, though I seriously doubted he would be slick enough to try to communicate with me through them. A single rose in full bloom meant _I love you_. I shook my head of the thought. If he really loved me, then he wouldn't have abandoned me and rejected me when I had thrown myself at him. I momentarily admired the rose's lovely shade of coral. _Desire_, my mind recollected. Coral roses meant desire.

I pursed my lips in irritation and entered the house, leaving the rose untouched. I felt the color and idea of "desire" made a mockery of our circumstances—the reason why we were in this place to begin with. If he truly desired me, he would have taken the offer and not abandoned me for a stupid bear. And the fact that he left the flower for me was quite irksome. Much like Viktor, Emmett seemed unable to get a clue. I wonder if that was a trait that all newborns shared?

I greeted my parents, who were chatting in the living room, before ascending the staircase. I paused abruptly in the hallway at the brawny figure walking toward me.

He halted in his tracks as well, removing his driver's cap quickly. "Good evening, Miss Rosalie," Emmett greeted me, his tone polite and gentle.

I put a concerted effort into focusing my eyes past him as I turned my nose up at his acknowledgement. However, I still was able to note quickly that he wore a sleeveless cotton white undershirt that clung to his muscular chest, putting his broad defined shoulders and arms on full display. It showcased his prominent pectoral muscles, the tiny bumps of his nipples poking through the ribbed, thin cotton.

His wide, newborn eyes were now a warm rust color, and he gave me a small half smile, displaying a dimple that always made my heart soar.

I fought to keep my expression unaffected. Brushing his shoulder as I passed him, I rushed into my bedroom before the serenity in my face could break.

I plotted silently on how to get the rose up here, into my room without anyone seeing. I certainly couldn't throw another one away like I did the other day, no matter how much it mocked our situation. Patiently, I waited for Emmett to go hunting with one or more members of the family, so that I could sneak it into my room.

*****

The next weekend I accompanied Esme and Edward to Philadelphia for some much needed shopping. Wanamaker's department store was a great way to escape from it all. Splitting away from Edward and Esme to avoid any unnecessary discussions, I found some darling dresses ranging from sizes four to six, my to-purchase pile accumulating quickly. Many designers ran smaller or larger, and I needed space to accommodate my lovely C-cup bosoms and my long, slender legs. Upon our return home, I decided to try them my new purchases on with some fabulous shoes that were in my closet. Then I could model them in front of my full length mirror to see the full effect of my ensembles.

I was scantily clad in an embroidered satin peach camisole and matching short tap pants, with pretty lace lining its hem. I wanted to try all my dresses with a pair of black sheer thigh high panty hose and my highest pair of Andre Perugia black Mary-Jane stiletto heels, so I kept myself in intimate wear between dresses. The Perugia fetish shoes were a new trend—a pair that I had acquired on a previous shopping trip to New York City. The camisole was low cut in the neckline, and the tap pants stopped just be low my hips, with the lacy hem and my thigh-high panty hose starting mid-thigh, I looked like quite the sex pot.

I felt and heard a gust of wind pass by my room, but it did a strange thing and slowed down, seeming to backtrack next to my bedroom door. Within microseconds, I caught the scent of cinnamon and cedar, and I pursed my lips to hide a smile. With my back to my bedroom door, I realized that I had left my door open, and Emmett was right outside watching me, just getting home from his hunt with Carlisle.

I pulled the pins out of my hair, which I had secured in a perfect golden bun, and let it fall into cascading waves of sunlight colored tendrils down my back, giving my best bedroom eyes to my mirror. I heard the faintest gulp, and I bit my lip to hide the grin that threatened to play at my lips.

With his scent wafting into my room, I grabbed a cobalt blue Chanel rounded collar day dress from the pile and slipped it on slowly. I made exaggerated swerves with my body as I tried it on, gazing at myself appreciatively in my mirror. I wasn't trying to show him that I knew he was there. I stood and made poses in front of the mirror as I acted like I was concentrating on inspecting the garment. Satisfied that the dress hit my waist at its smallest point, I removed it, even more slowly than when I had put it on. I pulled the zipper down little by little with my long, slender fingers. I then pushed the dress off of each shoulder, letting it drop to the floor. I stepped out of it, bent over leisurely to grab it from the floor, and place it on a hanger. It had turned into quite a burlesque show, as my tiny little strip tease for Emmett was just as exciting to me as it was to him.

I heard him take a large gulp behind me, and at that point I couldn't help but look up, my head popping around in a sudden movement. Emmett, obviously startled by me, jumped back so that his back was flush against the wall of the hallway opposite my door. His eyes were wide with embarrassment, and his breath hitched at being caught.

I smirked at him as I walked over toward him, enhancing my strut as I swayed my hips. His eyebrows rose in astonishment, and I could see the rise and fall of his chest exaggerated by his baited breath in the seconds it took for me to get to my door. I assumed his change of breathing was a result of a buried human reaction to apprehension, or anticipation that there was a chance that I might invite him inside my room.

_Tough luck, Emmett._

Unfortunately for him, I kicked the door shut with my foot. However, I noted the large bulge of his pants before shutting the door in his face, and I couldn't be more pleased. It was a few moments before I heard a gust of wind again, and I knew that he probably had gone to his room.

With a smug expression etched on my face, I continued trying on the many dresses I had purchased during my shopping spree, for my own private fashion show. After a while, I had tried all my new dresses on and, I hung everything neatly in my closet. Feeling a bit parched, I decided to go on a quick hunt alone again, preying on a large bison. It didn't take too long to find a herd, spotting them fifty yards away from my window. Its impressive size satisfied my thirst, setting me content to return to the house.

On my way home, I heard a strange sound, like a large dog whimpering, and I decided to check on the noise. As I approached the source of the sound only yards from our property line, I could hear a faint sound of repetitive, rubbing movement—some sort of friction—which piqued my curiosity even more. I scaled a nearby tree so that I could locate the origin of the noise from above, and looking down I nearly lost my balance at the sight before my eyes.

_Oh, my God._

There, against the trunk of an old spruce, was Emmett— pleasuring himself.

A momentary wave of shock came over me, and within seconds, millions of thoughts racing through my mind as I witnessed this. As a newborn, his human desires would be clouded by his thirst. Could he be overcoming his blood craze? Could he finally want me the way I've always desired him?

Another string of thoughts entered my brain. Considering he was close to the house, I was surprised that he would choose such an area within such close proximity of our home. No doubt would the rest of the family hear him with our enhanced ears. I then considered the fact that he wasn't allowed out alone for too long, and probably wanted to stay close by to appease us.

_No, that can't be it._

I pondered wickedly that he probably couldn't handle his desire for me much longer and needed to relieve it immediately, without caring where he did it.

_Bingo!_

I smiled, content at that conclusion.

My eyes felt like they could have popped out of their sockets from how large they had widened, still in shock as I observed such a private moment for him. Impossibly, they widened even more so as they took in the grand size of Emmett's manhood, and I had to put a concerted effort not to pant or drool at its tempting sight. Thanking God that I was not only downwind from him, but was also being blocked by the tree, I knew he couldn't detect my scent. However, I still fought with diligence to control the damp, hungry desire that threatened to saturate my underwear.

Under my careful scrutiny, I had unconsciously leaned even further towards him as I crouched in the tree. He then let out the most erotic moan as his orgasm overcame his body, and I lost my footing and almost slipped off the tree, but I was able to regain my hold before I could fall. Unfortunately, a leafy branch had broken in my struggle, sent flying downward to hit the ground, making a very distinguishable sound.

Interrupting him during his orgasm, his venomous semen still shooting in large squirts from his manhood, Emmett's head popped up, looking at the leaves that had fallen, and followed the trunk of the tree up to me.

My mouth fell open in a gasp, but I couldn't help but break out in large fits of giggles, my evil pride winning me over at my victory.

I watched him crouch over himself as he finished, trying unsuccessfully to lean sideways and grab the waist of his pants to pull them up. "M-m-miss…" I heard him stammer, straining to call after me. "Miss R-Rosalie?" He clumsily faltered as he tried to get his pants up over his knees, falling over as he stumbled on his legs.

The hilarity of the situation took over my lust, my giggles becoming large hoots, and I made my escape by leaping trees. I couldn't have planned a better circumstance at getting my revenge.

The next few evenings I paraded arrogantly around the house, feeling like I had won. I had teased him with my body, and embarrassed him, and confirmed that he still lusted after me. Justice was sweet. He would timidly say hello after the incident, but he didn't try to speak to me much. He knew that if there was a game, I was in the lead.

One Thursday evening, I had my weekly lesson with Thomas, and was making wonderful progress in my dancing skills.

"Good night, Mr. Kent," I said politely, as I pulled out the keys from my purse. He had graciously walked me to the Bentley. Carlisle had loaned it to me so that I could attend my dance lesson with Thomas that evening.

"Have a great evening, Miss Rosalie," he replied, and a happy smile graced his face.

Chivalrous as he was, he opened the car door for me and stepped aside as I slipped into the driver's seat. Leaning into the open window as he shut the door he said "Please take care on your home, Miss. Rosalie. The thunder is starting to sound extremely threatening."

I nodded once. "Thank you, Mr. Kent. I'll do that."

"Next week then?" he asked, and his big, green eyes were filled with hope.

"I'll see you next week," I confirmed. As he stepped away with a cheeky grin, I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street, bidding him goodbye with a wave of my gloved hand. I giggled to myself as I drove home. It felt good to know that I still had it in me to make a man weak in the knees. He would no doubt have been someone that I would've swooned over as a human. As a vampire, however, it would be utterly ridiculous to think of him that way that allowing anything to happen between us would me like a shark trying to lay down with a seal.

I parked the car into the driveway and went for a hunt by myself. I didn't feel like any company. I knew that being alone I knew that I was alone with one of my parents, they'd try to talk me out of my anger and I just wasn't ready to let it go. Hunting alone with Edward or Emmett? No thank you. I tried to keep my eyes as golden as possible these days in an effort to look my best. Finding a nearby herd of deer, I made a swift kill of my prey—two fawn to be exact—before a quick run home. I didn't feel like having the rain fall on me and ruin my hair.

The lightning and thunder crackled in the mid-spring sky as I approached the house, but the rain still hadn't fallen. I saw two figures moving around the pavement of our estate, and realized that Edward and Emmett were playing basketball and taking advantage of the thunder.

I walked past them just in time to for Emmett to pull his t-shirt from over his head.

Focusing past him to Edward's car, I opened the door to pull out my books that I had left in the backseat, when the rain began to pour outside. I turned my head to watch the rain, but the boys playing ball—one in particular—had gained my attention instead.

My eyes had not seen him shirtless in weeks, and once again I drank in his Herculean form, watching the rain trickle down the bumps and ridges of his musculature as he dribbled the ball and dodged Edward in the downpour. The waist of his trousers had fallen south, revealing the top of his boxers as he ran around. Because his boxers were riding so low on his body, it bared the top half of the V-shaped indentation of his lower abdominal muscles that separated his legs from his torso.

Unable to control my libido, my mind was off thinking lustful thoughts again, as I watched beads of water race down past that indentation and into his boxers. My body reacted, and I felt myself involuntarily moistening at my core.

Within fractions of a second, both boys looked over at me—Edward's face in a sour expression, and Emmett's nose flaring with eyes violently narrowed at me. His mouth slowly formed into an irritatingly pleased grin as Edward shook his head and dribbled the ball away from Emmett.

I stared back in horror for a moment as my mind went blank. I was unwillingly hungering after him once again, and he was picking up on my scent right away.

Suddenly, Edward chucked the ball at Emmett, catching him off guard. His delayed reaction allowed the ball to hit him fairly hard in his abdomen, knocking the wind out of his slightly, and distracting his attention away from me.

With his attention focused elsewhere, I found my chance to escape into the house with my books in hand. I could hear Edward call out "Traveling! You're out, Emmett!" as I fled up the staircase.

I heard Emmett protest, and they began to play more vigorously, the large crash of the ball colliding with cement in time with the claps of thunder as I studied in my room. I refused to step outside again and face him. I was frustrated at myself, as I had given too much away today.

A couple days passed as I worked to avoid Emmett completely. One afternoon I decided to do a vanity wash on Carlisle's car. I stood, leaning on one leg and tilting my head as I held the water hose, pointing to the hood of the car. I watched the water stream down the curves of the Bentley as I rinsed off the soapsuds. The soft music of Maurice Ravel and Claude DeBussy filled the garage and its surrounding area. Edward had moved a small radio into the garage for us to listen to, as he worked to change the fluids in his car.

As I turned with the water hose in the direction of the garage, I made sure to splash some water in his direction. Unfortunately, he ducked and moved away, sticking his tongue out at me like a juvenile. His mind reading gift was quite annoying at times. You could never sneak up on him unless you were careful to concentrate your thoughts on something else.

Emmett arrived home with Esme from a hunt, both of them laughing and carrying on some light banter with each other. Since Carlisle was on a 40 hour shift, she wanted some company and he was, of course, thirsty. As they reached the house, they became silent.

"Well, I'll be inside, working on more plans for the new house. I'll leave you kids out here to do what you need," she said, excusing herself.

Emmett, a little to jovial from his hunt, bounced around as he inspected the car I was washing. "You know, Miss Rosalie, I can help you get that spotless. I'm pretty good with my hands… you know, waxing and polishing."

I didn't miss the subtle innuendo in his words as I shot daggers at him with my eyes before I looked away, continuing to rinse the car off.

"All right, then. I take it you don't need my help. I'll just be over here if you need me," he answered casually, before adding "… or _my hands_."

My nose flared in irritation as I saw him heading into the garage to offer his help to Edward. His jolly demeanor translated in my angry brain as cockiness, and I didn't appreciate it.

Volunteering to lift the Volvo so that Edward could do a proper oil change, Emmett unbuttoned his shirt and revealed yet another one of his sleeveless thin cotton undershirts, which hugged securely around his brawny form. Letting out a groan, he lifted the car up above his head, his arms and shoulders flexing those ridiculously defined muscles.

My heightened sense of sight caught all the veins that had been left frozen on his body from his change. He was very well fit when that bear found him, and I couldn't help but thank God for it.

He looked over to me as one corner of his mouth slowly rose to give me a half smile.

_Emmett is the devil. _

I didn't realize that I had been washing the same spot of the car for the last five minutes as I stared at him. I averted my sight quickly as I finished off the last soapy spot, and put away the water hose.

"Aw, boy, you done did it now!" I heard Emmett playfully raise his voice.

I looked over out of curiosity, and found that the oil had somehow found its way to drip onto Emmett's shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Emmett. I didn't mean to get it on you," Edward laughed back, but then added, "but you _did_ tilt the car towards yourself, so it's not entirely my fault."

Emmett guffawed in response. "You mind if I put the car down? The oil's kind of bothersome."

"Sure." Edward stepped out from under the car as Emmett laid the Volvo down.

Peeling off his undershirt and using it to wipe off some of the oil from his creamy white skin, he tossed it into the trash.

My eyes narrowed as I was wiping the car down. I considered briefly if he meant for the oil to ruin his shirt for my benefit.

_That sneaky little fiend._

Emmett walked back over to lift the car again, this time bare-chested, with a smug expression as he watched me from the corner of his eyes.

_Oh, no, he didn't just do that,_ I thought to myself.

His chin lowered, peeking at me with tangerine eyes through a curtain of his long, dark, thick lashes. He cocked one of his brows in a somewhat suggestive manner, flexing his muscles further.

I immediately turned my head down as I worked to put a concerted effort in keeping my eyes on shining the enamel of the car with the rag as I wiped the water off.

Unfortunately, my efforts failed, as I looked up again.

A grin stretched across his all too satisfied face, with his dimples like cannons aiming at my destruction.

_He really is Satan. _

As he caught my eyes, he suddenly flexed his pectoral muscles rapidly, fluctuating them in a manner that made them look like they were dancing playfully at me. As he did this, he tried to hide the goofiest, yet sexiest, grin playing on his lips.

Half of me wanted to smile and laugh, but I bit my lip as the other half of me became furious as he teased me so.

Edward immediately began to chortle at Emmett's show, clearly reading both of our minds.

I snarled at both of them in fury and awkwardness.

_How dare he play games, when it is_ my_ turn for justice._

I let out a huff in disgust, and working at vampire speed, finished wiping the car, and fled into the house.

****

"You want to step forward and twist right, Miss Hale," Thomas guided me.

I stood with Mr. Kent at Appalachia's dance academy downtown where we refined my moves for the Foxtrot. I pretty much knew all the basic steps. Now it was just a matter of polishing them. I knew with my heightened sense of motion and distance calculation, I could probably master the art of dance without weekly sessions with an instructor. However, these sessions assisted tremendously in giving me a distraction from pining after the gorgeous, evasive newborn at home.

Unfortunately my thoughts were far from distracted, as I seriously considered my failure in controlling my licentious reaction to Emmett's bare form, and his sorry attempt at teasing me in the garage. Somehow my victory was short lived, and he was points ahead of me in the game. I was completely incensed by how things panned out.

"Now, when I grab your waist from the back, all you need to do is lift your arm and brush the side of your hair with your fingers, like so," Thomas showed me, trying to do his best to imitate a young woman's stylized motion. "You ready?"

"Yes," I said as I positioned myself. He guided me in an eight count basic step before grabbing my waist. I flawlessly replicated the finger brushing motion that he demonstrated just moments ago. "Was that good?"

Thoroughly impressed, he smiled and lightly squeezed the arm he had around me. "Perfect," he uttered, and suddenly his smile disappeared as he stared deep into my eyes. His crush on me was quite obvious, but I was accustomed to such a reaction from most men. Unlike others, however, this particular man seemed hopelessly adorable .

His posture was always perfect, as he was dapper and well refined. He had powerful ultra-green eyes, and stood about six foot two. His hair was neatly brushed from his face and a deep chestnut brown. He had delicate, yet masculine, chiseled bone structure and his plump lips were always a natural rose-pink hue. He was no Emmett, of course, but his looks were substantial enough to render most men insecure, and any normal woman weak in the knees.

Suddenly, a small, but mischievous plan formulated in my mind as I regarded Thomas's delightfully aesthetic features.

"Mr. Kent, how would you like to hold lessons at the house next week?"

"Miss Rosalie?" he asked, puzzled. His eyes grew quizzical, and his neck popped back in shock.

"Well, I have to tend to my… newborn nephew at home. Esme has double-booked herself with both babysitting, and a client meeting, so I have to be around in case she needs my… assistance with … the baby. I'm unable to … leave the house, but I'd hate to miss another lesson," I explained, surprised that I could come up with a lie so effortlessly, and a rather convincing one at that. I knew there was a slight risk involved, but Emmett had made much change much to enough progress with his control around the proximity of humans, that I had full confidence that the risk was minute.

He gulped, his heart accelerating in my request.

"Our garage is a large space. I can clear the cars—request that my father and brother park them along the driveway instead," I suggested.

His eyes lit up like the lights on a Christmas tree. "Well… ballroom instructors don't typically make house calls," he answered, breathlessly, "but I suppose we could arrange something."

"Wonderful," I replied, offering my gloved hand for a handshake as he responded by gently taking mine. "I look forward to it."

* * *

Once again, to Hawkins and her Fic "Fate is a Cruel Harpy" for the idea of communication through flowers and their meanings. Flowers were an original part of this chapter as well, but I added the meanings after Hawkins' generous permission to use her idea. If you would like to read another wonderful Pre-Twilight story, with Edward's pre-Bella days as the focus, check out "Fate is a Cruel Harpy," by Hawkins. It's a very charming fic that I know you'd love.

**Coming Soon: Strength and Remorse**, a collection of sideshots based on Vanity and Patience, through Emmett's eyes. Please note, it won't be a full translation of the whole story, but select chapters, with the first two chapters giving a glimpse into his human life. Coming this month to a browser near you!

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	18. Chapter 17: Lessons

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: A partial lemon exists in this chapter, and sex is always implied ;)**

As always thanks to cfmom and ledybug for their betaing expertise.

My endless thanks to texbelle, my twilighted validation beta, for her constant support and timely validations.

And to lisa for such great suggestions in the last few chapters that she's helped out with. Thank you for being there for me, and an awesome friend.

To Kari, thank you for being such an awesome friend as well. Glad we have each other to bounce ideas off of and just vent to.

And of course to a shout to the DHGs, you all know who you are, and I can't thank you enough for reading and reviewing and letting me take you to my tiny world where only our loveable Emmett and Rosalie live.

Sorry this took so long. Writer's block has been getting the best of me lately. However, incase you missed it, Chapter 1 of V&P's sideshots, Strength and Remorse, is already available here. Please see the link on my profile.

Playlist:

Emily Rossum – Fallen  
Alanis Morrisette – I'm a Bitch  
112 and Mase – Jealous Guy  
Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill a Man  
Hoobastank – Running Away

* * *

**Chapter 17: Lessons**

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* * *

**

I returned home that night with a devilish smirk on my face as I approached the estate. We had changed our arrangements so that Mr. Kent would come to the house earlier in the week. He would be arriving in three days time, just enough time for me to keep a level head as I knew I'd have to work to keep my thoughts from Edward. I had a great plan in place for getting my revenge and winning this game; nothing was going to stop me now. However, upon reaching the garage, something was off. I knew that Carlisle and Edward were out running errands, leaving just Emmett and Esme at the house.

_How strange,_ I thought to myself.

The light coming from the house was a peculiar yellowish color and flickered inconsistently in the living room. As I stepped onto the porch I caught the scent of burning wicks and wax. They were using candles tonight? It didn't seem we were experiencing a power outage.

I stepped inside slowly, the flicker of the candlelight increasing with the breeze of the door.

Esme stood, in front of the living room, her beautiful face graced with an exuberant grin. "Come on in," she invited me, guiding me further past the foyer and into the living room. "He's been waiting for you," she whispered to me, as if he couldn't here.

_He? Waiting for me?_

My eyes popped open wider as they scanned every table in the room. The room was flooded with countless vases of red roses, yellow tulips, and white cymbidium orchids. As I stepped once more, I was grateful that vampires could not shed any tears as I took a few more steps, because a stinging sensation filled my eyes with the familiar human instinct to cry. It would ruin my pride to show my feelings to everyone, so for once I was grateful of my immortal body that was capable of hiding my emotions, if I chose to. I scanned the room once again, looking at the species and colors in the sea of the floral arrangements. Red roses were passionate love, yellow tulips stood for hopeless love, and the orchids meant delicate beauty.

_No, it can't be. Could he really know what they meant?_

I turned to Esme and she motioned her hands to encourage me to continue forward. I gave her a quizzical look to silently ask if she had anything to do with this. I pointed to the flowers and then back to her just to make sure they weren't a gift from Carlisle, and she shook her head, pointing at me silently.

She gave me an impish, yet apologetic grin of guilt. _Had she helped him?_ She then bit her lip to keep from almost giggling excitedly at what Esme knew was planned.

I stepped further into the room in that sea of blooms, and past the wall separating the living room from the foyer. My heart would have raced if it were still beating as a familiar scent intermingled robustly in the air with that of the roses and other flowers. I turned the corner, and there he was.

Behind the blanket of colorful flower arrangements, Emmett stood with a gorgeous bouquet of the roses, orchids, and tulips in his trembling hand. His posture was awkward and timid; his face bashful yet pleading. The amber tint of the candlelight flickered as it cast dramatic shadows across the chiseled definition of his facial features. He stood in a pair of chocolate tweed trousers with a matching vest, and a cream button up round collar shirt.

His free hand lifted his derby hat above his head quickly as he tipped it to greet me. "Hi," was all he managed to say with a quivering breath, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. He made his best effort to smile, but his trembling lips couldn't hold it in the mess of all of his nerves.

_Oh, God why did you have to pick this night to be so amazing to me?_

I said nothing as I suddenly went rigid. I could not let him win. I had to be strong. My nose flared as I tried my best to keep my stone face as emotionless as possible.

_Must not give in, must not give in. _

He continued to smile, his lips stretching from ear to ear, his dimples deepening once again like canons aimed to shoot and destroy my tenacity.

As I felt my resolve to maintain the stubborn marble expression on my face begin to weaken and break, I suddenly blurted out, "Mr. Thomas Kent's coming here on Thursday." The words came tumbling out in a rush, my voice shrill as it cracked in the middle of my sentence.

"Miss Rosalie?" Emmett asked, his face perplexed at my statement.

"Rose?" Esme asked, walking over to me. "Mr. Kent is coming _here_?"

"Yes, for lessons… private lessons," I said quickly turning to Esme as I tried to avoid looking at Emmett's handsome face. "We'll be dancing in the garage."

"Oh, I see," Esme nodded, her face just as baffled as Emmett's expression. "Well, that's… good then?"

"Yes, yes it is," I continued, pulling my jacket off and trying to feign that I was unaffected as much as possible. "It will allow me to ensure my skill meets the challenge of any setting, including the garage."

"Rosalie, what do you think of what Emmett did to the living—" Esme tried to ask, but I cut her off.

"But now I need to study for my finals, and so I must retire to my bedroom." Realizing none of what I just babbled about made any sense, I hurried up the stairs and into my room.

"Rose," I heard Esme call, but I didn't answer. Like many nights when she would stop by to try to talk to me, she knew it was pointless. I would just lie and say everything was okay, or I'd send her away while I refused to speak.

I let out a breath as I stepped into my room—a breath I never realized I was even holding. My hand clasped my chest as I had a strange feeling, like I needed air. I opened my window and stuck my head out as I took deep breaths of the crisp night air. It was a familiar human reaction of hyperventilation. Though I knew I no longer required oxygen to breathe, my human emotions must have taken a toll on my physical wellbeing. Below me, I could hear Emmett and Esme's conversation.

"She… she hates me," I heard him breathe.

"No, sweetheart, she doesn't," Esme assure him. "She just needs time."

"Maybe I shouldn't have teased her the other day," Emmett muttered, and a clear note of disappointment colored his voice.

I heard them both sit somewhere, as I sat on my own couch, lifting my feet up to bend my knees and wrap my arms around my legs. I rested my chin on the valley my knees created and sighed, closing my eyes.

"Dear, sweet, Emmett," Esme sighed. "I'm sure it's nothing. All the effort you're putting into this must be getting to her somehow. She may be willful in holding onto her bitterness for whatever past circumstances have posed a challenge between you two, but it won't last for long. She'll get over it soon enough."

"What if she doesn't?" I heard him ask, his voice starting to break like he was about to cry.

The pieces of my heart were pulverized by the sound of his desperation. I fought with all my strength not to run down there and hold him in my arms myself. I wanted with all my being to cup his face into my hands. I wanted to force him to look at me and tell him everything was going to be all right, forgiving him for all of it. I shook my head at the thought. I knew I couldn't hang onto this grudge for so long.

_But you can't show your feelings_, a voice in my head told me. _He has to be the one to give in first_.

I nodded my head firmly in agreement with my inner voice. I stood up quickly to walk over to the full-length mirror on my closet door. I tuned out their conversation by humming to myself. Pressing my lips together, I removed my silk top and my brassiere to examine the two shiny crescent scars that framed my left nipple. As I was losing my will to hold onto my grudge, I desperately needed to remind myself why I was angry.

* * *

The next day in school I poured myself into my studies, taking notes and paying attention to lectures as diligently as I could. When I wasn't doing any of those things, I would be reading and re-reading my textbooks for history class. I would write and re-write essay length answers to possible final exam questions in my government class. I pushed through equation after equation in pre-calculus. I couldn't let my mind slip while Edward was around. I knew that it was going to be an arduous task to hide my plan from him concerning Thomas.

We returned home after school, and all the men went out hunting. Esme was upstairs finalizing the blueprints to the first level of our new home. As I was able to get a sneak preview of the plan earlier that week, I was excited to see how large and open the floor plan was. Stepping into my room, I found that the bouquet that Emmett had held the night before, was placed in water, and sitting in a vase on my vanity. I caught a faint whiff of his scent that intermingled with the soft smell of roses, bestowing guilt upon me once again. I left it untouched, but as I sat to brush my hair, I stared at the beauty of the arrangement, every flower in perfect bloom. I couldn't help but feel the culpability in not accepting such a grand gesture from him.

I decided I needed a break from studying, and stepped out of my room, away from the guilt inducing flowers. Unfortunately, the first floor was still flooded with vases, a particularly large arrangement of orchids on the baby grand piano. I sat at the piano, which I had not done in quite some time. I focused on the keys below rather than the orchid arrangement above. I decided to play Debussy's Arabesque #1, as Edward was had been playing him on the radio the other day. As I played, I felt and heard a gust of wind, and suddenly Esme was there watching. She moved slowly to sit by me on the bench, but with her back turned to the keys as the song came to a close.

I suddenly realized she wasn't here to listen to music as much as she was here to talk to me, most likely about my behavior towards Emmett. I sat quietly, respectfully waiting for her to speak. I had gone long enough without talking to her about things. I owed it to her to listen to her.

"It's nice to see you taking a break from all of your studying. I know that finals are coming for you, but while an education is important, I always strongly encourage the significance of leisure to the wellbeing of one's soul."

I smiled gently, looking down. "I guess you're not like most mothers," I mumbled. "Most of the time they'd be sending their youngsters up to their room, complaining they weren't studious enough. And yes, I needed a break." It seemed both of us took a deep breath, and I turned to her, watching her profile gazing forward towards the windows and realizing she looked hesitant to continue. "If this is about Emmett…"

"No, honey, it's not about Emmett…," she said, and then turning to face me, she continued "unless you want it to be."

I looked at her and bit my lip, and slowly shook my head with the smallest movement. I averted my sight from her and looked down sheepishly at the keys of the piano.

"If you would allow me to say what I need to say just this once, I will not approach you about the subject again. Is that too much to ask?"

I cocked my head to the side, pursing one corner of my lips as I considered this— a soft, apologetic smile threatening to play at my mouth. I turned my eyes to her and from my expression she gauged that I was allowing her to continue.

"Thank you, Rose," she said and took a deep breath. "I don't pretend to approve of the way you handle yourself on behalf of his efforts to gain your… forgiveness. None of us do, in fact. I know that the tables have turned, but at some point Rosalie, this has become ridiculous. However, I realize this should be between the two of you. Though I wish things were better with you two, I can't force this upon you," she said with reluctance.

I nodded in understanding, and was also grateful that she still trusted me enough to make my own decisions.

"But I do wish that you would take what I've said seriously, and talk matters through with one another—sooner rather than later. Obviously there are many things you need to work out with one another, if you're ever to move forward. You can't live like this forever."

Turning to look at her again, I saw hope in her eyes as she tried to assess my expression. As much as I tried to hide my feelings, I knew that it was written on my face that I wasn't ready, but that I also wanted it to end— this game; this chase. Unfortunately, with my instructor coming to the house in less than 48 hours, there was still one last bit of the game to play before I gave in.

"I know, Esme," I finally answered in a small voice. "It's just that… right now, I'm just not ready." I figured it was better to be honest with her than anything. I owed her that much for not speaking to her for a few weeks. I refused to be alone with her or Carlisle, in hopes that they wouldn't talk me out of my tenacity or selfishness. Though I could never outwardly admit to being selfish, I silently knew that with regards to Emmett, I was.

"Well, as long as you intend to smooth things over with him when you _are_ ready," she sighed, somewhat relieved at my response, but seeming ill at ease. I wondered if it was a result from the fact that I didn't promise a deadline.

"I will, I promise," I said, and I meant it. I slowly shut the lid to the piano, motioning to get up from the bench, when I felt Esme's hand reach for my wrist.

"There is something else I would like to address with you," she said, before taking another sigh and continuing, "and I'm hoping you'll let me talk to you about it."

I turned to her in curiosity, her eyes looking at me again with a slight hint worry. Her face held a touch of fear in the way her brows had curled to frame her eyes. "What is it?"

"Edward… mentioned something… about your family," she said slowly, knowing that I would be upset.

I pursed my lips at that thought that Edward was meddling. "What did he say now?" Frustrated, I began to tremble, my lips scrunching into a tight ball as my eyes narrowed. "Ugh! It's my business and mine alone if I ever care to see them again."

"Oh, honey, that's not what he said." Esme clarified, her face a bit confused at my statement. "All he said was that Janice King is having Richard's baby."

"Oh...," I said softly, my temper calming slightly, "I see."

She paused for a moment, her expression still perplexed. "Is that what you desire? Not to watch over them anymore?" Her head cocked to the side, and her eyes gave a sympathetic look. "I thought you loved to keep yourself connected to your human life?"

"I…" I couldn't finish, looking down and getting up from my seat. I began to pace around the room as Esme still sat on the bench, her topaz colored eyes following me. "They're forcing them to marry. How can I _desire _to be near them when they still _desire_ to be near the Kings? After everything that Royce did to me, they still choose not to believe what all of Rochester thought was the truth. They're still just so desperate to for wealth."

"There was never any proof to them or the authorities that Royce was the culprit. You cannot blame them for Royce's mistakes. Rosalie, have you not thought that maybe they want what's best for the couple? Or even better yet, have you thought what was best for the baby?"

I stopped in my tracks, my back to Esme as I faced the living room wall. The mere mention of "baby" and my stomach churned in notches.

"Oh, my dear Rosalie," she sighed. "Do you not see this baby as a blessing? Do you not realize that you are becoming an aunt? Doesn't that excite you?"

I frowned. "How could it excite me? It's not mine. And it's not like I could even be an aunt to the child." I turned to her, gesturing to myself. "Look at me, Esme. I'm a vampire. They think I'm dead. I can't exactly go back and visit, baring gifts for their baby."

"But would you not want to look after your niece or nephew?"

_My niece or nephew._ I hadn't thought about it that way—a chubby, bundle of joy that would be my niece or nephew. My heart was definitely broken for many reasons, and this particular thought only added to it.

I let out a breath, knowing that she had a point, but I refused to see it. "I… I need to get back to studying," I mumbled softly, trying to change the subject and respectfully dismiss myself from the conversation.

"Rosalie—"

"Esme, I appreciate your concern. I love what you are trying to help me do, but I just can't," I explained, my voice still soft, looking back at her with eyes that begged forgiveness. "I wanted to have the baby they're having, don't you see? To even think about it is like having them dangle all that I've wanted in my face with no means to acquire such a dream. Surely, you can understand me." And I know she did. She once had a child who passed away. In fact, it was what made her jump off the cliff in an attempted suicide fifteen years ago. It's what lead Carlisle to find her in the morgue, still with a heart beat, before he changed her.

Esme stood up, nodding in defeat. "It is your decision, of course," she spoke, her voice calm. "I just didn't want to let you do anything you might regret later."

I stepped over to her and gave her a light hug. "I know, Esme, I know. Thank you." I felt her arms enclose around me softly, but I sensed some disinclination in her hold. I knew she meant well, but my tenacity kept me from giving into her advice. I excused myself and walked up to my bedroom where I studied once again for my exams.

* * *

It was finally Thursday; Edward and Emmett had just walked through the door from a hunting excursion for bears and bobcats. We had all decided it was better to make sure Emmett's thirst was sated in preparation for my human visitor. As a precaution, Carlisle thought it best that Thomas and I stay in the garage, while Emmett stayed in the house. Edward had suggested they listen to a game on the radio during my lesson so that Emmett would be distracted. I was able to keep my thoughts to myself by defining pre-calculus functions, and drawing out a timetable for my history class in my head. However, I was thankful that this day finally arrived, because I didn't know how much longer I could keep my thoughts from Edward.

At exactly 5:55pm, Thomas arrived in his black 1932 Ford Cabriolet. He parked a bit of a distance of our driveway, behind the Bentley and Volvo that my brother and father courteously kept from the garage. He pulled off his fedora and held it to his chest as he nodded hello to me before heading in my direction. As he walked over, I straightened my Chanel cotton dress with my hands gently, calling attention to my figure as I watched his eyes follow the motions of my hands for a quick second before looking back at my face.

_Like putty in my hands. _

I detected the small patter of his heart beat increase in tempo as he came closer. "Good evening, Miss Hale. Are your parents home?" he asked cordially.

"Sure," I said. I called for Esme and Carlisle, and he greeted them both before they excused themselves back into the home. Esme had offered him a drink, which she had stocked in our icebox with for this occasion, and Thomas settled with some iced tea.

"Would you like something, as well, Miss Hale?" he asked. "I'm sure dancing would get you thirsty."

I smiled a bit at the private joke. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I made sure to drink plenty of fluids in preparation for our lessons, and I can always get refreshments if I feel… thirsty."

Esme shot me a mixed look of amusement and warning at my statement before heading into the house to fix his drink.

"Well, that is good then," he replied, smiling back.

"I hope this space is sufficient," I said to Thomas, my hands gesturing towards the empty two-car garage.

"Oh, Miss Hale, it's more than enough." His eyes scanned the garage, as his eyes sought out the source of the music he could hear. The song "I Get a Kick out of You" by Cole Porter was currently playing. "That is just wonderful," he said, admiring the radio. "Just perfect. We can use this song and start with the foxtrot. What do you say?" He offered his arm to me.

"That is just fine," I said, taking his arm and letting him walk me to the center of the garage. Once there, he turned me to face him, and began to lead me around the garage in an elegant foxtrot.

Esme had appeared with a tray of napkins and a glass of iced tea, laying it down on a table to the side, smiling as she watched us for a moment before heading back inside.

I smiled at Thomas as we danced. He gave me a closed mouth grin, a dimple showing on his cheek. He really was good looking. It was a shame that I didn't know him in my human years. He even outshined Royce. His eyes sparkled as the lighting of our garage reflected from them, but I liked to think they did so because he was looking at me. As if to answer my question, he smiled even wider, prompting me to respond by letting out a chuckle as he lifted his arm to lead me into a spin.

I looked around as I spun, spotting Emmett peering out his window from the second floor. He wasn't exactly frowning, yet he wasn't smiling either. I wondered if my grand plan had all been for naught as he seemed expressionless as he watched me dance with another man. I heard him descend the stare case to join Edward by the radio for the game. I realized after a long moment of dancing that I needed to do something to spark a reaction from him.

Thomas and I danced for a few songs, many of which required that he and I to be dancing and holding each other close—cheek to cheek even. Unfortunately, I saw and heard nothing from within the house. I could hear the hum of another radio as Emmett and Edward listened to the game, with their cheering and clapping at each play. Carlisle and Esme were looking over more floor plans for the Hoquiam house discussing the flow of the layout. Frustrated, I decided I needed to raise the stakes of the game a little higher, and that I would do it with the next song.

The radio changed, and began to play "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," by Nat Shrilkret.

_Wonderful_, I thought_. A slow tempo song._

Thomas stepped back to bow as I curtsied in return. "Venetian Waltz?" he asked, offering his hand once again. I nodded wordlessly as I took it in my gloved hand. I floated gracefully as he led me around the room by the hand before spinning me to dance flush against his body.

I cautiously let my stone figure mold around his warm pliant form, pressing myself against him. The heat of his human flesh was admittedly delicious, and I couldn't help but wonder if Emmett had felt this way during his human days. His body was too torn and weak when I found him, for me to enjoy him in such an embrace. If I had met him before the bear mauling, would his body emit this much heat if I held him against me? The thought of Emmett's bulging muscles being as warm as Thomas's caused my nipples to involuntarily stiffen.

I heard a low and deep growl from inside the house. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Regardless, I allowed myself a quick glance at the window anyway, and was rewarded with a brief glimpse of Emmett's face before he moved away from the window. In that brief glimpse, his nose was had been flared and his mouth was pressed closed in a scowl, with his lips wrinkling at his at the corners.

_You're not the only one who desires me,_ I thought towards him, as if he could read minds like our _dear _little brother.

Turning my attention once more to my instructor, Thomas immediately became rigid in my hold. It was an obvious response to the tiny peaks forming on my breasts that stood erect enough that they could be felt through my layers of clothing and they grazed his chest lightly as we swayed. I immediately felt a rush of heat below his waste as the burn of thirst tore through my body, from my esophagus traveling out to my limbs. His blood was traveling quickly to his manhood and forming an erection, growing slowly but surely as it was pressed against my belly.

Through the burn, I still managed to smile at him, trying to seem bashful, but instead a little smug, and he suddenly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hale," he apologized softly, stepping away and hunching over a bit. He turned to face the corner, and I noted the small movement of his arms as he tried to discreetly adjust himself in his trousers. Even in the most awkward of situations, he held to his proper, chivalrous self.

Immediately I felt a sharp pinch of guilt in my stomach, considering that I was using such a goodhearted, young fellow to make my vampire suitor jealous. I knew that I wasn't right to lead him on or to make him much like a pet, but as my enhanced hearing caught Emmett mumbling a string of unintelligible things in blatant jealousy from the kitchen, I could not stop myself. I enjoyed it way too much.

"It's all right, Mr. Kent," I said in my most soothing, disarming tone.

He had turned to me then to look at my eyes, and his face flushed with a somewhat humiliated expression that was also coloring his eyes and lips.

"Let's continue, shall we? I don't want to keep you here any longer than discussed. I'm sure you have other plans for tonight." I smiled at him as I offered my arms out for him to take so that we could continue our dance.

He gulped, taking me slowly into his arms. He held me in the basic steps for a few silent moments while he gained composure of himself from being embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke. "Actually your statement is inaccurate, Miss Rosalie, as I do not have other plans this evening," he said, taking a few steps with me before raising one of my hands and placing his other hand on the small of my back to lead me into a turn.

We danced in silence, this time without smiles, but looks of chemistry inducing fire. I could not ignore that I was, in fact, attracted to him, even in its smallest measurement.

He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Would it be too forward of me if I were to ask you out this evening?" he asked, his hands beginning to tremble.

My eyebrows rose in surprise and delight. _This was just too easy, _I thought.

I smiled mischievously, but tried my best to keep it less obvious. "Mr. Kent, are you asking me out on a date?"

"I know, I know. It's terribly presumptuous of me to think that you would have no plans, and to ask you out on such short notice. I had just hoped that if I came here, that I could interest you in an outing afterwards."

"Mr. Kent, I'm not so sure," I replied, but I was still a bit too smug in my voice.

"I'm terribly sorry for the short notice, but I can't refrain from asking you any longer. Would you grant me the honor of your company?" he asked, leading me into a spin.

As he tipped me back, I looked up at his happy face. "And what if I do say yes?" I asked, letting my cool breath wash over him yet again.

He inhaled deeply, taking in its scent. "I would be honored to have you accompany me to the theater for a picture show, and afterwards I would gladly escort you home." He held me in his arms, my back still leaning into the dip, and I distributed my weight evenly as I knew his human arms couldn't hold my marble body up in all its strength.

My mouth curled up on one side into a half smile before I said "Is that all you want?" in the most seductive tone I could ever put together. I batted my eyelashes and let the sent of my breath draw him in, knowing a vampire's scent for a human would be like a mouth to a flame.

His eyes became slightly unfocused before becoming heavy lidded, and his face inched forward to softly brush his lips against mine.

In mere microseconds, many things happened at once as my mind was swirling with thoughts. Suddenly my throat became engulfed with flames of bloodlust at the feel of his warm, supple lips just centimeters away from my stone ones. My lips began to part by their own volition. To Thomas, I probably looked like I was going in for a real kiss, but I knew that my mouth was ready to bare teeth, and cut them into his flesh like a hot knife on a stick of butter. My mind fought frantically not to imagine his warm, crimson nectar pulsing from his jugular. Thirst had overcome my momentary sexual lust for such a fragile human and I vaguely registered that he was in extreme danger.

I was thankful when I was distracted from my burning phase of thirst as I heard a loud crash from inside the house. It sounded like glass shattering into pieces as it all scattered and spilled on the floor.

"I'll fucking kill him!" I could hear Emmett screaming out.

Immediately I stiffened before pulling myself out from under Thomas's grasp. A look of shock and confusion marred his handsome face as he took in Emmett's voice. It was obvious to me that he wasn't sure whom the sudden outburst was directed towards.

I could hear more glass exploding in a million pieces somewhere else in the house, and the voices of my family trying to wrestle Emmett to the floor. "I'm gonna rip that kid to shreds with my teeth after I feed on him and then spit him out!"

My preternatural hearing caught the sound of the additional family members. I could hear Edward, grunting as he probably worked to hold him. Two gusts of wind flew down the staircase, as Carlisle and Esme called for him to stop, telling him to calm down.

"Mr, Kent, I'm terribly sorry, but I just remembered something that I was supposed to do tonight, so I must cut this short," I said in a hurry, swiftly pulling him by the arm towards his car.

"Miss Hale, if I did anything to offend you…" he began to say as I pulled the keys from his pocket and hastily opened the door for him, motioning for him to get in.

"No, you didn't. It was completely my fault." I said in a rush, practically pushing him into the car.

His face was stunned. His apprehension growing as he saw the frantic movements that I could barely contain at human speed. I helped him get away and hopefully run out for his dear life.

_How could I have been so foolish? _

Starting his car, his brows in a perplexed wrinkle, he looked up to the house to see in the window the silhouettes of my family struggling to keep Emmett from flying out after him. His face grew to one of fear as he took in the size of Emmett's form, his eyes widening in horror as he realized that the anger was directed towards him.

"I'm gonna kill you," I could hear Emmett calling through the window, and Thomas's brows furrowed in dread as he broke a cold sweat.

"Please, Mr, Kent, just go," I begged in a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Thomas. Please, go now," I said.

"You're gonna be dinner, and then I'm gonna rip your dead body apart limb from limb!" I could hear Emmett say. It would be too muffled to human ears to comprehend, thank God.

Thankfully, all of the words were said too fast for Thomas to understand them. He nodded comprehension of my motioning him to leave, putting the car into gear. With one concerned look back at me, and within seconds he was speeding down the driveway and off of our property line, back into town.

I zoomed into the house, realizing that Emmett had crushed all of the vases of flowers that he had left me—glass, petals, and leaves spilled across the floor, some still flying around in the wake of the commotion. Furniture had been broken and pushed aside. Carlisle and Esme both had him pinned to the hardwood floor, while Edward came charging at me in lightening speed.

"You and me, outside, _right now_," Edward growled, grabbing me firmly by my arm to yank me out of the house and across the yard into the forest. He was able to pull me well over five miles from our property line, a good distance so that the [other] family members could not hear us. His had dug into my flesh as he tugged my upper arm to get me there.

When he finally stopped, he spun around in a whirlwind, and before I could even say anything he began to scorn me. "You have been relentlessly cruel and idiotic. I have sat around for long enough watching the atrocious things that you do to him and letting it slide, but you have obviously gone way to too far."

"I didn't initially plan for it to get this far!" I yelled back in my defense.

"Well, congratulations, Rosalie! It _has_ gone that far! How could you even _think _about bringing a_ human _home to make a _newborn jealous_? Have you lost your mind?" Edward said, his eyes boring into mine, the skin between his eyebrows puckering in frustration as they scrunched inward in his trembling anger. His hand, still tightly gripping my harm shook me as if to try to shake some sense into me.

I struggled from his grasp. "Get your hands off of me!"

"How could you do it?" Edward demanded, as his voice echoed in a loud boom in the forest.

A gust of wind came to hit us as Carlisle suddenly appeared, pulling Edward's hand from my arm. "Edward, that is enough, I'll take it from here."

"No, Carlisle. It is not enough. She has endangered Thomas Kent. Not to mention she has put our family in danger of being exposed."

"Edward, go. Please, let me handle this."

Edward stepped back, but he didn't leave, choosing instead to remain in place where he now stood, folding his arms in anger across his chest.

"Rosalie, I have stood quietly by to watch your immature attitude towards Emmett without interference. This by far is the worst thing you could ever think to do, and I cannot and will not tolerate it. Do you understand me?"

I began to sob. "But Carlisle, it wasn't my intention to put him into danger. It was supposed to be harmless fun, really."

"I know you didn't mean it, but what ever your intentions were. The point is, you put an innocent man's life in massive danger just to play this game with Emmett and I will not allow it to continue any further. Not to mention, the fact remains that if Emmett were to kill him, it would risk the exposure of this family to the public, and we will have to move away more quickly than we have planned. His association to you would no doubt lead the authorities to us. Have you even thought about how the murder of such a respected fellow with a well-known connection to you and the family would look if the news traveled over to Italy where Aro, Caius, and Marcus are concerned?"

A tremendous amount of shame came like a tidal wave, crashing all over me and causing my knees to buckle. I had fallen forward into Carlisle's arms as weakened guilt robbed me of my balance. Before I could even respond, I was interrupted.

"Carlisle! Edward!" We all heard Esme faintly calling as she approached. "Help!"

"Esme, what's wrong. Where's Emmett?" Carlisle asked, concerned as he looked from catching me.

"He's gone," she exclaimed, frantic and shaken.

"What?" I asked, sensing gut wrenching knots as my stomach felt like it fell to my feet.

"Emmett, he ran off," Esme sobbed, grabbing hold of Carlisle's arm.

"Damn it! Which direction?" Edward asked, crouching and ready to launch himself after Emmett.

"West," Esme said, frazzled beyond comprehension. "I— I think he's headed into town.'"

But before Esme could finish her sentence, Edward had already taken off in Emmett's direction.

"Oh, my God," I gasped, covering my hand over my mouth. I stood up, trying to steady myself on my legs. Carlisle and Esme were talking to each other, mumbling somethings about Emmett, but I couldn't comprehend a word.

_Mr. Kent. Oh, poor Thomas_.

Without another thought, I was running.

Frantically, I began running towards town, heading to the Kent residence.

I prayed to God that I wasn't too late.

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**Endnotes:**

Please don't hate her for putting Emmett through the ringer like that. I know a few of you are annoyed with her from last time, but really, this is ROSALIE HALE. Did you really think "the new and improved softie Rose" would be around forever? But don't worry. I think its safe to say Rosalie has learned her lesson, and will no longer be playing games.

Again to Hawkins, thanks for letting me use the flower meanings idea. I try to give credit where credit is due.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	19. Chapter 18: Apologies

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: A partial lemon exists in this chapter, and sex is always implied ;)**

As always thanks to cfmom her betaing expertise. If it rocks, its all on her.

My endless thanks to texbelle, my twilighted validation beta, for her constant support and timely validations.

And of course to a shout to the DHGs, you all know who you are, and I can't thank you enough for reading and reviewing and letting me take you to my tiny world where only our loveable Emmett and Rosalie live.

To all the V&P Readers, thanks so much for allowing me to take you on this ride! I appreciate your interest in this small story.

Playlist:

Jagged Edge – Walked Outta Heaven

New Edition – Can You Stand The Rain

Serani - No Games

Chicago/Shai – Hard to Say I'm Sorry

One Republic - Apologize

Bell Biv Devoe – When Will I See You Smile

Boyz II Men – On Bended Knee

Ronan Keating – If I Don't Tell You Now

El Debarge – Time Will Reveal

Bryan Adams – All For Love

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**Chapter 18: Apologies**

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Sprinting into town, trees, cars, and buildings passed me in a blur. It was like watching an endless stream of colors passing me by. I was thankful that I could never be blinded by tears, because they would definitely hinder my sight to get to Thomas's house fast enough. I never meant for the game to get this far, nor for Emmett to hunt him down.

As I approached the small townhouse of the Kent family residence, I circled the perimeter of the house to catch Emmett's scent. I caught it, but it was only a very faint remnant, like he had been there briefly and quickly left. It was much too faint to tell me if he had been there long enough to accomplish his goal, but I had seen Emmett kill within seconds when he was set on his prey. I knew if he really wanted to, he could have easily drained and discarded Thomas before I could ever say "Stop." My stomach twisted within me, a horrible acidic like pain lurching within its center. I leaped onto the house next door, and scaled it's side to the top in order to peek into their house from its rooftop.

It was a multifamily home, from what I understood. Harold Green and his family lived on the first floor, and the Kent residence on the second. Several rooms were empty in the Kent unit, but I could hear the radio playing a soap opera program somewhere inside so I followed it to the great room, which was towards the back of the house. There, Mrs. Adeline Kent, Thomas's grandmother, was knitting and listening to the program, humming to herself. My stomach churned further as I realized that I had put her into danger as well with my actions.

The feeling of unease erupted through my body, as I couldn't find Thomas in the house to use my enhanced hearing to pick up on extra sounds from inside. I detected a second heartbeat, and the water running and hitting a cast iron tub. Someone was in the shower.

In moments the shower stopped, and my preternatural hearing caught the sound of a hand turning the knob to the bathroom door on the first floor, and I ducked behind the waist height wall of the roof. I raised my head up just enough that my eyes caught sight of the room.

Out of a door came Thomas, in his pajamas and a T-shirt, towel drying his hair. "Grandma, are you still up?" he asked.

At the sight of him, I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders, and I sighed in relief. I was thankful that the roof of this neighboring home I was watching them from had no lights to shine above me and reveal that I was there. I was sure they only saw the dark navy of the night if they were to glance out the window, with so many bright lamps on in the home.

"Yes, dear, just finishing up my program," she called after him.

"Grandma," he gently chided, "the hour has become quite late, and you know you need your rest. NBC Radio will still be available for you to listen to your beloved programs tomorrow. I promise. Shall I get you some water so that you can take your medication?" He walked over to her after getting her a glass of water that sat in on a nearby coffee table.

She sighed; laughing at her adorable grandson as she slid her wrinkled little hands along his cheek. "Yes, Tommy, I did. My boy, always so caring." She took a sip from the glass that he handed to her.

My guilt-ridden consciousness threatened to consume me as I watched the loving exchange between him and his grandmother. I'd forgotten that his parents had died. His grandmother raised him afterwards. Now that he was older, he was the one caring after her. I truly was the devil to have put him in such danger.

"Did you have a good day, my dear? You look… rather uneasy tonight."

I felt another wave of shame roll through my body, as I hadn't noticed that his face still contained residual horror from what had happened earlier this evening.

"I— It's nothing, Grandma," he replied, dismissing it quickly. "Let's get you to bed." I watched him assist her to her feet from her rocking chair and into her bedroom door.

An unnatural breeze blew beside me, and Carlisle and Edward appeared next to me on the rooftop.

"No sign of him?" Carlisle asked, lower than a whisper.

"None. I can tell he was here, but Mr. Kent is fine," I replied under my breath.

"We need to split up," Edward suggested, looking only at Carlisle. "We need to scour the streets and surrounding areas, maybe nearby towns. I can't pick up on any his thoughts, so I'm worried that he might be too far away.

"Where would he have gone?" I asked them both.

Edward continued to ignore me. "Carlisle, are you with me?"

"Certainly, Edward. That's a great idea. Esme has gone home in case Emmett returns before we do. I'm sure between us the three of us, we find him."

"If it weren't for one of us three, this would have never happened," Edward hissed, peering at me from the corners of his eyes.

I looked away, shame coloring my face.

"Edward, that's enough," Carlisle warned gently. "We all need to work together and find him."

"I'll check around this town and it's surrounding neighborhoods," I volunteered.

"I think that's best, Rosalie. Edward, you check the surrounding forests and towns to the west and the north. I will cover them from the south and the west."

We all nodded in agreement as we separated and fled to our assigned areas.

It had been hours. He had been missing since close to 8:00pm and it was now almost 3:00am as I wandered aimlessly, combings the streets of Appalachia. It was empty except for the occasional homeless person rummaging the garbage bins. The Great Depression had left many without a home.

By instinct I froze as the winds changed.

My throat burned insatiably as I caught the scent of fresh human blood, followed by the unmistakable musky combination of cinnamon, cedar, and baked bread.

_Oh, good Lord, no._

I moved into immediate action and was flying past everything in an effort to get to the source of the smell—the streets eerily quiet that night.

I turned several streets as I continued to pinpoint its direction. As the scent grew stronger and stronger, I knew I was nearing my target.

I turned the corner and found him in an alley. There he was, with his back turned to me, and the body of a mortal hanging from his grasp. I detected the frail twitching of the human's limbs as Emmett drained him of his scarlet liquid.

"No," I breathed, unable to help myself, though I tried desperately to hold my breath as the scent of the human's blood made the venom in my mouth pool exponentially. It wasn't a scent that I recognized so I knew it wasn't Thomas, but still appetizing none the less.

Emmett turned his head a fraction, allowing only his profile to be seen. He snarled violently as I cautiously approached him. I saw his cheeks turn outward as he bared his bloody, razor sharp teeth at me.

Ever the newborn, protective of his kill, I carefully slowed down even further. "Emmett, it's me, I'm not trying to take your prey," I said, my voice steady. Taking that breath to talk, my thirst flared in my chest and throat at being so close to a blood-saturated human. However, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle at the moment. I was so preoccupied with Emmett that I was able to withstand such a scorching burn.

He growled once again, bringing his mouth back to the man's throat to finish the last of his blood. He grunted as he drank, his chest heaving, as I assumed he enjoyed every last drop as it quenched his thirst.

It was an unfamiliar homeless man—a hobo at that. A lump of guilt constricted in my chest at the thought of being responsible for his death. "Emmett—"

He gave a large vampire hiss, which my instinct took as a warning.

I still continued to inch forward. We had been through this before, and though I knew the dangers of being around him, I was much more confident that he wouldn't hurt me. "It's me. It's Rosalie."

He stood up straight, the rise and fall of his shoulders pronounced as I watched his back. His head was still turned to the side as he watched me in his peripheral vision. "I know who you are," he roared in irritation. He let the man's corpse fall to the concrete floor.

"Emmett," I breathed, again, taking another guarded step forward.

He snarled even louder. "Stay back," he commanded. He seemed to be trying to calm himself down.

It was very awkward, considering what I had just put him through. I wasn't sure what to say, and he also remained quiet for a few moments as the growling from his chest subsided. His growling had ceased, and I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first. Tension was thick in the space between us.

"I was so scared you'd kill Mr. Kent," I finally breathed, my voice shaking. It was the first thing to come out of my mouth.

He sighed, looking down, his back still turned to me. "Oh believe me, I wanted to. I even went there. I really, really wanted to." His mouth twitched as it his lips scrunched together in resentment. "He… had a Nana…" he breathed, but voice trailed.

The number of knots in my stomach grew from my guilt, and the realization of my stupidity. I covered my mouth with my hand as a shaky sob flew up my throat.

"I… just couldn't." He slowly moved the corpse against the wall, turning slightly more in my direction as he stared at the brick wall in front of him. "I didn't want to ruin the family, and give away our cover. I wandered the streets as I successfully fought my desire to taste his blood—I even ran over one hundred miles to get away from it—but my urge to kill, I couldn't fight. I came back thinking to again, but I talked myself out of it before I could get there."

A sob rose to my throat and threatened to release, but I forced to contain it. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling, watching him carefully as he spoke.

"I needed to finish someone—anyone." Emmett gestured to the body lying at his feet. "He crossed my path. I figured a hobo would be a bit less suspicious. No one will be looking for him." He sighed once before he continued. "I just couldn't go without killing anyone tonight," he confessed, somberly.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed, my voice small. He chose not to kill Thomas. He chose a kill so that the blame would not fall on any of us. He protected our family. I realized suddenly and for the first time that maybe I wasn't worthy of him.

"Sorry?" he asked, confused. "You didn't kill anyone." He turned quickly and leaned his back against the brick wall of the building before slumping to slide down to a seated position. "I don't think I can face the family now. I shouldn't be there. Not even _you_ want me there."

"That's not true," I replied, my voice trembling from my sobs. "If I hadn't… If I'd just… I'm so sorry," I cried. "It's not true. We want you with us."

He grunted in protest, his head hanging from his neck, unable to look at me. He had lifted his knees to fold before him so that his feet were planted on the ground, wrapping his arms around his legs to sit in a fetal position. "No you don't," he mumbled, his voice very faint.

I took a deep breath, composing myself from my crying. He needed me to be strong and to talk him back into recognizing what really mattered. After a few small moments of straightening myself out, I spoke. "Yet you have people searching for you, wanting you to come home, where you belong."

He sat in silence as he stared at the pavement.

"Emmett, this was my fault. What you did tonight, it was all my doing," I insisted, taking full responsibility for his actions. "_Please_ come home. We're _all _looking for you."

His head popped up suddenly. "So that you can continue to ignore me when I get there? So that you can make me feel unwanted and turn a cold shoulder at me? So that you can avoid me when I try to approach you? So I can watch you toss my flowers in the trash? Do you have any idea how hard that is on me?"

My heart fractured at every word he spoke, but my pride held diligently to my stance, and my temper flared. "Do I? Do _I_ have any idea? When someone blatantly ignores you and acts cold towards only you in the family when you haven't done anything to deserve it? Do I know how that feels? Do I know how much it hurts when you stand by someone for months and all you get is a nod only every other day?_ You_ are asking _me_?"

He shook his head in incredulity at my sudden outburst, laughing to himself as he looked back down. However after a few moments, he hung his head in guilt once again, his clenched fists relaxing at his knees.

"I'm sorry, that was terribly inappropriate," I whispered.

I watched his eyelashes lower, detecting he had shut his eyes as he hung his head. I realized it was best that I explained my behavior now.

Taking a calming breath, I continued. "It's just that I resented the fact that I had to be all right with things right away. I felt like I was expected to accept you at the snap of a finger. You have to understand, Emmett. I've had you pining for me for _only _weeks, whereas I've had to suffer through your indifference for _months_. And when I finally get to you, I get passed up for a _bear_."

I could tell that he winced at my last statement, the side of his face contracting as his brows furrowed and his mouth pressed wide.

"Emmett, come home with me." _Please, I can't live like this without you._

He let his head fall between his knees.

"Come home, please. The family wants you home."

"Do they?" he asked with his face still buried in his knees, unconvinced.

"They do. Carlisle, Edward, Esme, they all want you home." Desperation began to seep into my voice. The thought of him never returning home was all I deserved, but nothing I could ever face.

He sighed, lifting his head from his legs slightly, still not wanting to look up from the concrete.

"Please, Emmett. We want you home," I pleaded. "We need you."

"Do _you_ want me home?" he asked, looking up at me. His gold speckled eyes were swimming in crimson with the fresh human blood now circulating through his body. They glistened in the dim lights of the streetlamp, hopeful and vulnerable. "Do _you_ need me?"

"I… Of course. You're part of this family. You belong with us," I said, trying to my best at being assuring as possible.

"Does that mean that you think I belong with_ you_?" he asked in a whisper. His eyebrows had raised, a slight tremble as his muscles struggled to keep them up in hope.

I frowned. "Emmett, please. Stop playing games. Come home."

He let out a humorless chuckle once again. "Games? Me?" he snorted. "You're one to say anything."

I gave him an apologetic grimace before I opened my mouth again. "I… They'll stop. As of right now, no more games, I promise." I held up my hand as a pledge to my promise. "And I'm so, so sorry," I said once again. I had taken things too far. We were past even. I was the culprit now.

I watched him take a breath of relief at my apology, and he slowly nodded his head in acceptance. However, his posture told me he still wasn't convinced to come home.

"Emmett, you're a part of our family. You're one of us. You_ are_ a Cullen. You belong with our family," I said, further separating my own feelings from the statement. "Please come home."

"Tell me you want me to come home," he demanded.

"What?" For a second, I found myself befuddled at his request. Then I slowly realized what he was waiting for, but my stubborn resolve held me to play ignorant. "I'm already telling you, Em. We want you home with us," I muttered, irritated.

"No," he shook his head vigorously. "I want you to tell me. Tell me_ you_ want me home, and I'll come home." He stood up and stepped towards me, his eyes locking into mine ferociously. "_You_."

I stepped back taking a defensive position. "Don't make this harder for me than it already is," I snarled, frustrated and tired.

"Tell me you want me home, and I'll come home." His eyes bore into mine, and I looked away.

I couldn't look him in the face. After all that I had pushed him to do tonight, I was still stilted with guilt. At the same time, I still wouldn't be the one to fold first. I had already apologized for the way I behaved, and the truth was, I needed to hear his apology. I wanted to know that he was sorry about everything that had transpired between us led me to play games with him in the first place. It was the only way that I thought we could move on and put this all behind us.

"I guess I should go. It's not like I fit in anyway. I can't be a vegetarian if I keep slipping like this."

"No! _Please_," I groveled, practically falling onto my knees as I grabbed his hand. "Please,_ please_ don't leave me again. I don't think I can handle it."

His hand reflexively tightened around my fingers. I watched his eyes slowly shut as he inhaled through the growl threatening in his throat at my touch. I knew he wasn't used to so much physical contact. With a newborn, it was a risk for me to take, but at this point I didn't care anymore. The familiar, but enticing, electricity from his hand soothed the ache in my heart that burned for him.

"I won't play any more games. I'm sorry for all that I've done to you. Please, just don't leave us," I begged, sobbing.

He turned his head to look down at me, his face contorted in a mix of frustration and sentiment. His eyebrows were raised in saddened regret, while his mouth remained a scowl. His lips slowly flattened into a straight line as I felt his hand begin to pull mine upward. "Please get up, Miss Rosalie."

I shook my head, resisting with all my might.

"I can't bare to see you like that, so please, get up from the ground," he muttered.

"But you can't go," I gasped, shaking my head and resisting his pull as I now clutched onto his hand with both of mine.

"I won't go," he said softly, and with that statement I immediately let him yank me to my feet, "but you need to tell me want I want to hear, in order for me to stay." His eyes were still slightly quivering with anticipation for me to comply.

I grimaced. "What do you want to hear? I've already apologized. No more games, I promise. I won't be cold to you anymore." It was the truth. I didn't want to continue battling against him. "I've asked you not to leave me again. I told you I couldn't handle it. What is it you want?"

"Tell me," he demanded, his hand gripping my mine even stronger than before. His eyes were deeply intense as they stared into mine. "Tell me you need me. Tell me you want me to be there with you." He leaned in closer, his voice becoming a whisper as he made his next request. "Tell me you want me."

I stared back at him blankly. There were many things I wanted to say, but as my tenacious willpower still held onto the last remaining grudge I had over him—however miniscule it was—I wasn't ready to say it. My pride kept me from folding, but my heart was beating at my will. Confused, my mouth opened in an attempt to say something—anything—that would keep him from running.

Just as I began to speak, two blasts of air came through the alley, and Carlisle and Edward materialized before us.

"I'll take care of the body," Edward volunteered.

"Good job, Rosalie," Carlisle praised, patting me on the back before turning back to Emmett. "Emmett, son, let's get you home."

"Carlisle, I'm so sorry," Emmett gasped, looking down in shame.

"Emmett, it's all right. We're all bound to slip. Now let's get you home."

Before Carlisle could finish the last sentence, Edward charged at me. "Rosalie, you will come and help me," Edward insisted, grabbing my wrist and prying me away from Emmett. He led me to the body of the hobo. "Flip him over," he commanded, pointing at the corpse.

"Why me?" I asked, perplexed at his instruction, and irritated that he was ordering me around.

"Fine," Edward hissed, flipping the man over with one move from his hand. He grabbed my shoulder, turning me to face it. "_Look_ at him. Look at his face. This is the life that _you_ risked playing this silly, foolish game."

I began to sob uncontrollably, turning my head away. "Edward, please," I breathed. "Stop."

"I said _look _at him, Rosalie," Edward demanded through his teeth.

"Edward," Carlisle warned him.

"_No_," he insisted. "Rosalie needs to acknowledge her mistakes," he said turning to Carlisle for a brief moment glaring back at me. "_Look _at the life _you _were directly responsible for ending, Rose," he derided.

Frustrated, I permitted myself to glance at the man's expression. My sobs became louder as I took in the poor man's face. Guilt, already stilting my balance, crashed through me like a tsunami. If a person could drown from shame, I would be the epitome of such a thing.

"Edward, stop that, _now_," Emmett roared from where he stood with Carlisle. "I killed him."

"Look at him, Rosalie!" Edward demanded.

In a flash Emmett was between us, his forearm pinning Edward's chest against the wall of the building. "I said, stop it," Emmett snarled. "I did this, Edward. _I_ did this," he insisted. It was all too fast for Edward to catch in Emmett's thoughts and duck in time.

Edward stared back at Emmett, his face still frozen in the scowl he wore for me. "You wouldn't have done this if she didn't push you," he persisted.

"Emmett, let him go," Carlisle ordered. "Edward, I believe you've made your point to Rose. Let's get Emmett home."

Emmett relaxed, pulling back from Edward as Carlisle wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his back in consolation. Edward glared at me for a long moment before joining Carlisle and Emmett as they began their walk on their way home. I trailed close behind them, but still hung my head in pure humiliation.

In an effort to keep Emmett from running in shame or possibly killing others as we walked through town, Edward and Carlisle ran on either side of him, and I was right behind them.

That night was tense as we sat together at the dining table to try to talk things out and convince Emmett that he was still a member of the family, no matter what he had done. Edward had killed many people in his ten years away from Carlisle and Esme. Even Esme had slipped a few times in her early years. There was no perfect vampire in this household. With a gentle, parental embrace from Carlisle and Esme, Emmett retreated to his room. He paused on the stairs for one final side-glance at me, but I couldn't look at him as I reconciled myself that tonight's events were my fault.

Edward refused to talk to me any further that evening. It was Carlisle and Esme who pulled me aside with their disappointed expressions to offer their thoughts on my behavior. They wanted to articulate their dissatisfaction with my idiotic plan. I could do no more but agree with them about my foolishness. I apologized profusely, wailing and blubbering over my words. The looks on their faces were punishment enough, but I was ready to accept whatever penalty Carlisle would give me. To my surprise he didn't leave me with a sentence. He figured that seeing the death that I was indirectly involved with was enough, and he was sure that I had learned my lesson. Appreciative, I couldn't protest as I nodded as the sobs still took over.

Esme took me in her arms as I wept, quieting me down as she stroked my hair. Within moments I felt an extra pair of arms wrap around us both as Carlisle hugged us, and I finally looked him in the eyes. His honey irises were framed with soft brows that curled in compassion and absolute fatherly love. I sighed as he put his hand through my hair and gave me an assuring half smile, making me feel better—even though I knew I wasn't worthy of it.

* * *

For the next couple of days, I stayed within my room when I wasn't in school, ashamed to walk around the house after the mess I caused. If I didn't pass my final exams with perfect scores I would be surprised, because all I did was study for them.

I stood still on top of a large hill, staring out at the setting sun, the partially cloudy sky kissing the rolling, green hills and Blue Ridge Mountains ahead of me. Below me, and a bit to the west, I saw a small town of northern Kentucky. The air was thick, with the tangy, sour taste of coming rain. The clouds were moving in a steady but obvious pace in our direction. It was one afternoon, two days after Emmett had killed the unfortunate homeless man. My eyes scanned the blanket of green foliage as I waited for Emmett to finish off his kill and dispose the carcass of the bison in his hands.

As he was disposing of it quickly, I felt his eyes on me, and I assumed he wanted to say something. It was quite an awkward silent hunting trip, like it was many months ago when we first went hunting together alone.

His mouth opened and shut several times before making a single sound. "I…" was all he could come up with.

I turned away from the scenic view of the mountains, to face the path home. "It's going to rain, so we best get going," I said softly. "I can't get my hair wet." I began my few steps to descend the hill when I was suddenly interrupted by his call.

"I'm sorry," Emmett blurted out, his voice loud and commanding.

I halted at his words, frozen with my back turned to him. My stomach churned with butterflies, and my eyes seemed to sting in wanting to cry for happiness.

"For everything, for hurting you when we met, for almost hurting you when that jerk attacked you, and for hurting you when… when…" His voice trailed off.

I shook my head and shut my eyes. I had waited for this for a long time, to finally hear him say it, to finally discuss everything. I had waited for him to apologize just as I did with him, so that maybe we could put it behind us. Part of me really wanted to. It was the only way I thought we could move on and put this behind us.

"Most of all, I'm sorry for being so cold—for pushing you away. You didn't deserve my hurting you physically when I was out of control, and you never deserved my hurting your feelings when I didn't know how to conduct myself around you."

I turned around slowly, my eyes refusing to meet his.

"I realized in all the effort I've made in the past few weeks with the flowers and trying to talk to you that I never offered a proper apology. I feel completely foolish for everything I've done. You don't deserve that."

I sighed, finally looking up at him. My face was an expression of stern agreement to his statement. My heart ached when I took in his remorseful rust colored eyes, the rims of his irises still lined with a thick, deep, crimson red as his body was still consuming the hobo's blood.

"Please forgive me, Miss Rosalie," he begged.

I cringed at hearing my name still being spoken so formally, sparking my pigheaded temper once again.

"I'm trying here," he continued. "I wanted you to know. I've never felt this way… about anyone. And I think that I… I think that…. I think I lo-"

"_Miss Rosalie_?" I snapped, narrowing eyes at him as I cut him off mid-sentence.

His face grew baffled at my intrusion of his words.

"Please forgive me, _Miss Rosalie_?" I mocked him incredulously, my composure wavering. "And then what was that? You were going to call me Miss and then try to tell me that you think you love me?"

I knew I was being horrible, ruining his moment and spoiling the mood, but I didn't care. I couldn't stand being called "Miss Rosalie" one more time. I should be thankful, and gracious that we were speaking, especially after all that I had put him through. Unfortunately my irritation took over me at the moment.

"But Miss—"

"No Miss," I said raising my hand in a gesture to stop. I figured I should use this opportunity to expand on my stance in the matter. "I can't help but feel that when you do that, you're trying to keep me away from you. You don't want to be close. Am I wrong?"

His eyes widened as I spoke, seeming a bit surprised that I graced him with more explanation in that statement than I've given in the last month. "Well, you're… not entirely wrong, I guess."

"Could you go one day without putting extra distance between us by addressing me so formally?" I refused to accept such a proclamation of feelings in that manner.

He looked thoughtful for too long of a moment, so I decided to speak again.

"Do you know what you even feel? Are you sure about what you're saying? Or is it just because I've been playing hard to get that you even think about me right now?" I wanted to ensure that what he felt for me was the truth, and not some figment of his imagination just because I was giving him the cold shoulder. Of course, I could ask myself the same thing, but I knew in the volume of ways I've changed since knowing him that there could be no other explanation for it. I was in love with him.

He opened his mouth, I assumed to try to protest, but I spoke again before he could say anything.

"I know you have to wonder what it is that brings you to say these things," I said, calming myself down. I realized if I didn't help him through this, I'd never get him to say what I wanted to hear. "Have you ever once really sat there to get to know me? In all of the months that you stayed your distance, and the weeks that I treated you badly, was there anything you can say that you knew about me?"

He looked at me, confused. "I'm not sure what you mean."

I decided at this moment to throw him a bone and help him out. "I think that if you loved someone, you'd know many things about them. You'd notice the little details."

His brows were scrunched together as he watched me. He seemed to be concentrating, but not truly absorbing what I was saying.

I realized that I might not be clear in my explanation, and that I had to elaborate. I bit my lip, unsure of how to begin. I figured I needed to provide him with examples. "You have a growl when you're thirsty, and one when you are defensive. The latter is two octaves higher and several notches louder than the first."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow at my statement, his mouth curling up to one side. A dimple set on the cheek of that same side, prompting my next example.

"The dimples on your cheek show up when you're either smiling, scowling in anger, wincing from pain."

His eyes sparkled, and seemed to smile—if eyes could— as they watched me during my explanation.

I turned away bashfully, biting my lip and forced their corners down against a smile that threatened to play in response to his reaction. I focused on a boulder nearby. "You hunt like a grizzly and you scale trees like monkeys."

He chuckled at my observation, unable to help himself. "I do?"

"Yes," I sighed.

"Have you ever seen live monkeys before?" Emmett playfully asked, amused.

I frowned, turning back to him. "You're missing my point," I muttered, wryly.

He sighed, averting his eyes from me, seeming lost.

"Could you tell me any of those things concerning my habits, Emmett?"

He furrowed his brows once again, the skin between them puckering into a "v". "I haven't really ever considered…" His voice trailed off.

In the distance, about fifty miles northwest came the soft rumble of thunder from the coming rain.

"Miss Rosalie…" he began and I frowned at him again. "I'm sorry. Its just… habit."

"It's going to rain, Emmett," I stated with reluctance. I turned to face the direction towards the house. "Let's go home."

He sighed in defeat as I headed down the hill, following me in silence. His face was an intense but emotional expression as he watched me during our return home.

As I ran home with him at a steady pace beside me, I wonder if he realized that my admission of the small traits I noticed in him were a small effort on my part to let him know how I felt about him. It was subtle as I meant for it to be. I wasn't about to give myself away completely, and I still had a tiny, residual amount of a grudge against him. I just couldn't let myself be the first to say it.

He would need to do it first.

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

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	20. Chapter 19: Declaration

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter Specific Warning: This chapter contains a small and tasteful lemon squeeze, but nothing that would make you "toss your cookies."**

Thanks to my beta, Lisa, aka cfmom! If the clarity and flow of my writing is good, its because this woman lets me know where I need to polish things!

Thank you to texbelle for your timely validations and support!

Thank you to my readers! I'm happy that you've come by to read every chapter! And especially those who review and let me know how much you enjoy the story. I'm way behind on my responses but I'll get to them, I promise.

And now the moment you've all been waiting for, or atleast one of them, lol.

Playlist:

The Temptations – Night and Day  
Billy Joel/Jordan Knight– She's Got a Way  
Bic Runga – Sway  
Jagged Edge – I Gotta Be  
Desiree – Kissing You  
Janet Jackson – Let's Wait A While

* * *

**Chapter 18: Declaration**

Upon our return home, I figured I had given too much of myself away, so I avoided Emmett. My little tidbits of the small habits and features of his that I noticed would no doubt show him that I had in fact let him know I loved him, too. To get out of hunting alone with him, I had made excuses that final exams were beginning and I needed to study. I wasn't being outright cold. In fact, I still said hello from time to time, but I found myself unable to keep from combusting around him and letting him know how I feel if we were left alone together.

He had to be first.

One evening, a week later, I returned from taking a quick hunt nearby, where I had fed on some elk. It was finals week, and I still had another two days of exams to go. I didn't want to run too far in the lovely dress or the pretty shoes I had on that day. I obviously didn't want the family to see that I had more time than necessary for a quick hunt anyway, considering I tried to look too busy to take a longer hunt with Emmett.

Things had slowly returned to normal. The awkwardness between my parents and me had decreased. Emmett and I were at least being cordial to each other. Even Edward's scowl had diminished to just a faint wrinkle in his brow, which was his normal expression of self-loathing. I giggled to myself. He always looked… constipated.

I reached the porch steps of the house and realized both cars were gone. I knew that Carlisle and Esme had gone for a drive, but I couldn't imagine where Edward had gone off to. Listening carefully, I heard footsteps in the house, and the tuner for the radio being turned.

_Emmett_, I thought to myself.

I walked into the foyer and saw Emmett in the living room, switching the stations on the radio. He was exploring some comedy programs, but settled on a music station. He turned suddenly as I stepped into the living room, smiling at me. "Good evening," he said, pulling his driver cap off of his head.

"Good evening," I responded, formally. "Where's Edward?"

"He went to buy a notebook for an exam tomorrow," Emmett replied.

I nodded my head and headed to the staircase.

Emmett took a few long strides across the room over to me, stopping me in my tracks, and reached for my arm. His grip was firm but soft at the same time, only tight enough to hold me there without hurting me.

I refused to meet his eyes, turning my head to the side stubbornly like a child. His scent was intoxicating, but I was steadfast not to give into him. There it was again—the electricity, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Rosalie," he whispered softly.

My eyes grew wide, but I still kept myself turned away. His whisper made my body quiver once again. My name, said with loving familiarity, rolled off his tongue like smooth honey. I had never heard him speak so softly before, and the fact that he used that voice to say my name. _God, I love you._

"You can't ignore me forever, you know," he breathed, and I heard a smile come to his voice, but I still wouldn't look.

"I'm not ignoring you," I corrected him, feigning innocence as I turned my head a fraction in his direction to talk to him, still keeping my eyes focused elsewhere. "I said hello."

"You know what I mean, Rose," he mumbled wryly with a chuckle.

His use of my name so easily tickled my heart senseless. His delightful scent filled my senses with warm exhilaration. I bit my lip and pressed my mouth together to hide my smile.

We stood there for what seemed like a never-ending moment while my tenacity kept me from looking up at him. "Rosalie, please look at me." His tone was serious now, and I was sure that his smile had faded. "I know you want to. There's nothing to hide anymore."

One of his hands pulled me so that I would turn to face him, placing his other hand on my shoulder. His hand moved slowly from my shoulder up to my cheek. I finally looked up, unable to resist him. I was such a sap.

He gave me a half smile, with a dimple playing gently at his cheek.

Damn him and his dimples.

I sighed. It felt like little currents from his body transferred to mine, running though me like a circuit. I couldn't resist this anymore. I wondered how he had gained so much control of himself. Circumstances weren't completely in control over a month ago when we tried at intimacy that one night in the forest.

Another song began on the radio. It was a new one by Fred Astaire.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

_Was this a joke?_ Just a month ago he could barely exercise any self-control, biting me like he did, and marking me in the process. _What made tonight any different_? I grew tense as I felt he was trying to pull me in and lead me into a waltz.

"Dance with me, Rosalie," Emmett requested in a soft whisper, his orange red eyes smoldering. He had me locked in his gaze. My knees became like gelatin.

_I love you, and I hate you. Why do you do this to me?_

Damn him for being so unbelievably irresistible. His neatly pressed pinstriped gray suit only accentuated how utterly breathtaking his manly features were. I could not refuse my attraction for him, or my feelings, so I failed miserably in playing hard to get.

Finally, I gave in.

We began to sway, and he was in lead. I was amazed. I had no idea he had it in him to dance, and to be so graceful. He spun me around and caught me again. I couldn't help hold back a giddy chuckle. I laughed but followed his surprisingly firm but gentle grip as he guided me through the movements and body lead changes. _He_ was amazing. I don't know if I could ever get enough of him.

He hummed as we danced, and then with an unexpected twist he, began to sing along. "Only near to me or far, it doesn't matter to me darling, where you are. I think of you… night and day."

I gazed at him in pure shock, slightly pausing in our dance. A brand new song and he knew all the words? "How did you—"

"I have to kill time somehow while you're at school too, you know," he smirked, cutting off my question. Those dimples danced once again on his face, with his childish goofy grin growing larger by the minute.

He spun me around again, bringing our dance to meet the whole space of the room.

"Night and day, day and night… Under the hide of me… there's an oh such a hunger yearning burning inside of me," he continued, knowing spot-on every lyric to the song.

I was totally enamored by him. _Where did he come from? And who knew he could carry a tune?_

His laughing eyes smoldered once again as he stared into mine. "And this torment… won't be through…" he sang, grabbing me closer to him.

"'Til you let me spend my life making love to you..." My body heard that line, and involuntarily wetness gathered at my core.

"Day and night…" Lifting his arm he twirled me around and stopped me so that he caught me with one arm and tipped me back "Night and day!"

He leaned close to my face, his eyes still laughing, his smile from ear to ear. His cool delicious breath washed over me and I felt tingles of that electric current everywhere. Slowly his lips turned down, and his eyes grew heavy. He gulped, leaning in for what looked like a kiss.

I wanted to let him. I wanted to accept his lips on mine, while I cupped his face with my hand. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, and passionately throw myself into my desire, but I didn't. My pride interrupted the moment. I could barely remember why I was ever angry with him in the first place, but I wanted to hold onto my will that kept me from giving in.

"When'd you learn to dance like that?" I asked quickly, his mouth only a mere half inch from mine.

"Electronic Television," he replied, looking a bit disappointed.

I pulled away, straightening up quickly.

His face seemed to look pained at the loss of contact. Inwardly, I felt the same way, but I kept my face as serene as possible.

"Television? What television?" I asked, still trying to keep him on another subject.

"Carlisle and Edward bought one the other day," he answered, slightly annoyed. "Rose, come on. You see I'm tr—"

We were interrupted by a sudden applause. Carlisle and Esme had returned with our brother, catching the last moments of our private little dance show.

"That was lovely!" Esme commented.

"I'd say so," Carlisle agreed.

Even Edward had a hint of a smile playing across his constipated looking face.

"I should study for my last exam tomorrow," I said quickly, excusing myself to my room. I gave a graceful curtsy towards the family before I flew upstairs. I felt Emmett watch me leave in obvious disappointment.

*****

It was only a few days later that I had to face him alone again. I had taken my last exam that day. I was officially on summer break, and out of excuses not to hunt with Emmett. Today was my turn to take him, of course, so I graciously accepted my duty.

I contemplated on his cordial yet distant demeanor towards me as we ran to West Virginia this time. In the last few days, I began to miss the flowers that were left for me which had now understandably ceased considering my awful behavior before that night with Thomas Kent. I knew I didn't deserve them all, but I couldn't help but wish I had kept all of them. I knew that in the drawer of my vanity was a small wooden box with his pressed daises and the coral rose that I had dried in an effort to preserve it, all nestled between two linen embroidered handkerchiefs. That thought comforted me slightly, yet I couldn't help but feel the guilt that nestled in my chest about all I had done to him.

I knew I must've upset him that day that we danced, because other than the normal hello and goodbye, he hadn't tried to speak to me any further. It didn't stop my hope that he'd still try to win me over. I figured he'd want to talk to me during this hunt, our first time alone since the dance. In fact, I was so confident that I counted on it.

We decided on his favorite, of course—a family of black bears. Though I would normally spare at least one parent and the cubs if I were hunting alone—or with any other family member—I knew that with Emmett in the leading the hunt that he'd leave nothing behind.

I waited patiently as we drank from their jugulars, glancing over at him periodically for a sign that he wanted to speak. Unfortunately, it was to no avail, as he seemed preoccupied with his meal. The silence was ironically loud, much like the silence before he woke from his change nearly nine months ago. It was deafening, and I suddenly felt awful. Perhaps I had finally succeeded in pushing him away from me for good.

Giving up, I disposed of my bear carcasses after two cubs. Reluctantly surrendering to defeat, I prepared to go home. It was a direct result of my own selfish actions that brought us to this, and I deserved to now lie in the bed I had made for myself.

Putting on a strong front, I lifted my chin in an effort to clear my head of such negative thoughts. When my spirits slumped so did my entire demeanor, including my posture. I pulled my shoulders back, straightening my spine as I cleared my throat. "Ready whenever you are," I finally said, trying to hide the melancholy in my voice.

I watched him nod his head a fraction of an inch in response as he finished off the last cub.

I sighed, straightening my dress before I began to walk towards the direction home. Suddenly I saw a blur of movement from the corner of my eye as Emmett turned in my direction, and dropped the bear he was holding.

"When you laugh your head tilts back, and then you rock forward when you gain composure," he called out suddenly. "You have the most musical laughter I've ever heard in all my twenty years."

I froze. _What did he just say?_ I felt the biggest urge to turn around and face him, but I knew that meeting those big eyes, and that gorgeous dimpled smile would weaken my will. My hand reached for my hair of its own volition, twirling a tendril with my index finger absentmindedly.

"When you're nervous, you play with your hair," he continued, and I could hear a smile in that statement. He stepped in my direction slowly.

My fingers immediately let go of my hair as I made a conscious effort to keep my arms down on either side of me. _Damn him._

I heard him take another soft step forward, leaves brushing against his feet. "When you concentrate, you bite your lip and wrinkle your brow, and the skin creases into a 'v' shape between them."

_Wait. Did he just say my skin… creases?_ It was as if he was powerless to stop his mouth as it spouted statements about me. I turned slowly, a scowl residing across my face. Was he trying to insult me? "Excuse m—" I began to sneer, but when my gaze finally met his face I instantly regretted it.

His expression was gentle, loving, and most of all apprehensive. I watched it change to worry for a moment as he took in my frown, but then it turned back to gentle right before he continued. He took a step closer.

Taking a deep breath, he began again. "When you're reading, or doing your homework, you chew on your pen or your pencil to think."

My knees began to weaken. Had he really noticed all these things about me?

"I think you've ruined many pencils because of your little habit there," he chuckled.

I put a concerted effort in not furrowing my brow at him.

"When you're on the piano," he muttered, taking another step in my direction, "your head leans thirty three degrees to the right because you're enjoying the music."

As I looked into his handsome face, I realized that while I couldn't recollect when I had moved, I was no longer turned away from him.

"You hum to yourself when you're busy doing something, like working on the car, or brushing your hair."

Though I felt his nervousness, he still observed me closely. His dimples set into at his face with a trace of a smile as he tried to keep serious. He knew he was winning me over, nervous or not. _Damn him two times._

_Must be strong,_ I thought. I refused to smile back, my face and posture serene. I stood frozen like a statue, though my eyes followed him.

"And when you're busy doing other hobbies, you hum and tap your feet to popular songs on the radio. Lately it's been the Goodship Lollypop. You seem to be a Shirley Temple fan."

My eyebrow arched fortuitously at the revelation of his remarks on my general behavior. _So much for serenity_, I thought to myself. I could tell by his body language that this was rather awkward and uncomfortable for him, but I could not deny how adorable it was—his efforts to finally express himself.

"And sometimes when you look at me, there is a twinkle in your eyes, and your irises seem to dance." He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and took an intimate step forward, placing himself just a couple inches away from me. "Even if you're not smiling at me, Rose, your eyes always do."

_His scent_. My mind became a cloudy mess of freshly baked bread, musk and cinnamon once again. I could not turn away from him or push him away anymore. This was my pride's defeat. I hadn't realized how open I was, like a large print on a children's book, or a large sign of a restaurant; he could easily read from several feet away.

"But I love that smile, and I haven't seen it in a long time," he murmured softly. Leaning forward, he touched his forehead to mine, shutting his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply before speaking again. "I miss it a bunch," he whispered in a sigh.

I stood wordlessly, my lids lowering blocking him from vision. I took in a deep breath and my body began to tremble. I wasn't used to being this close to him, and given his sudden declaration of his feelings the moment felt even more intimate. The electric chemistry between was tangible. This close to him I was in heaven. My pride and unreasonable anger were shredding to pieces, each piece flying away as if carried by the wind.

"You're unbelievably stubborn, cold, and bitter. You can hold onto grudges for far longer than anyone I've ever known," he said with stern resolve. "You'd drive most any average Joe away with your antics if he wasn't completely sweet on you."

One of my eyes opened to peek at him. My stomach churned with butterflies in response to his statement. I watched as the strong, serene expression on his face immediately broke into a smile. I closed my eye again. _So much for holding my composure._

"However," he continued, "you've just been as pigheaded about this game with me as you have been about standing by me all those months when I didn't deserve it. It's true that I tried to keep my distance from you, but it was only because I didn't want to harm you. If I knew how to be near you back then without the danger of turning on you—trust me— it would have been hard for you to keep me away."

I felt his large hands firmly take my shoulders as he leaned in closer, lifting his forehead away from mine. I opened my eyes in shock, as his eyes were now gaping at my face only a mere two inches away. "See," he continued in a soft tone, "you're not the only one who feels the way you do, Rose. You're not alone in any of this."

I gulped at the casual mention of "Rose," which—every time he said it—rolled off of his lips like melted chocolate. For the millionth time in front of Emmett, I couldn't find any words. He had noticed all these things about me that I never noticed about myself. Could I really believe he was in love with me the way I was—the desperate way I always was about him?

His right hand let go of my shoulder, and his fingers folded inwards towards his palm. He ran the front side of his fingers up and down my upper arm, and I shuddered in response. If it could happen to a vampire, there would have been goose bumps all over my skin. The contact caused heat to pool low in my body, and I felt my desire moisten between my legs. I was suddenly worried. I looked up at him, feeling a bit edgy.

_Could he control himself?_

His nose flared at the scent of my arousal, and I watched his jaw clench as he bit his lip. I expected the tension in his hand to change as he became aware of my desire, but the hand on my shoulder remained gentle. The other hand had stopped rubbing my arm, resting at my elbow. He slowly shut his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose, and then opened them again, letting out a sigh of what seemed like relief.

I stood amazed as I realized that he just gained control over himself.

His mouth slightly turned up at the corners, and he stared straight into my eyes. "_You_…" he said with a little chuckle, his eyes dancing to its beat, "you have been the death of me since day one."

My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn't think of a response. I was just so overwhelmed by all of everything, that all I could do was stand there like a moron.

"I can never let myself harm you anymore, Rosalie," he murmured. "You're just far too…," he shut his eyes for a moment before opening them to continue, "precious to me."

I silently watched him struggle to express himself, and I couldn't help but find it endearing.

My desire for him could no longer reside in the confines of my tenacity. His delectable scent entranced me, his large eyes mesmerized me, and when he leaned in to finally brush his lips gently upon mine, I surrendered. His lips were tender and soft, and our electricity sizzled as he moved them gently against mine.

He pulled back deliberately to study my expression, his own expression both tender and affectionate. The loss of contact with his lips left me hanging and wanting more, but the look on his face soothed the emptiness I felt when he pulled away from the kiss. "You're _my angel_, Rose. You _always_ have been," he uttered under his breath.

Taking a chance and leaning into him once more, I found his lips again with mine, slowly bringing my arms around his torso so that my hands could graze his back. The feeling of the planes and dips of his muscles through the fabric of his shirt was amazing, and I felt him involuntarily quiver against my touch.

Both of his hands moved up from my shoulders and encased my face as his lips parted over mine. The taste of his mouth and tongue was like sweet cinnamon bread, and I couldn't get enough. It was even better than I had imagined, and although we had kissed once before, this time was just so different— and a million times better.

I sighed into his mouth. It was my first real kiss. Royce and I never had a moment alone together for him to be able to steal a kiss from me. He was just that busy. I didn't count my kiss with Emmett that one night either. It was more a technicality. This was truly my first genuine, honest-to-goodness kiss. One of my hands lifted up towards his face and into his hair.

He groaned as if to respond to my reaction, but not in a menacing nature at all. His lips grew into a passionate motion, as his tongue and lips tenderly but deliberately caressed mine.

This was completely new and surprising, but most of all, it was entirely welcomed.

Had this been the reward that Esme had mentioned in my room months ago?

He pulled away to look at me, leaving me leaning into him, reluctantly hanging on and wanting to continue. "Emmett," I breathed as he touched his forehead to mine once more, his hands touching my face. I sighed in relief, in love, in surrender.

He placed a chaste kiss on my lips before he continued. "Rosalie, I've been yours since the day I woke up changed and looked into your pretty golden eyes. I was just too distracted… too thirsty to realize it."

I finally let a smile stretch across my face as I shut my eyes. Hearing him say those words may have been the death of my resolve, but they brought new life to the heart in my chest that I assumed had died when I was changed.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't realize it sooner," he clarified under his breath. "I'm so sorry I didn't know how to deal with my feelings."

I held my finger up to his lips, opening my eyes. "Shhh," I whispered. I shook my head. "Please don't apologize anymore. You are a newborn, and there was no way that you could know how to deal with any of it. I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have been so cruel to you."

"Well, aren't we a couple of fools, then?" he asked, chortling. "Both of us want to apologize, and neither of us believe we should. How's about we just forgive one another?"

I beamed at him, holding my hand out as I stepped back from him. "Good enough," I said. "All is forgiven."

He looked at my hand with a mixture of playful confusion. "You want to shake on it?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes," I replied, still holding my hand out and wiggling my fingers in the direction of his hand.

"All right, then," he responded confidently, taking my hand into his strong grip. "All is forgiven."

"And what's wrong with a handshake?" I asked out of curiosity.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, peering up to the sky. "Well, nothing's wrong with a handshake," he said. He then looked at me, his hand yanking my arm so I jerked forward. "But I can think of something better," he said with a smirk and a sly arch in his brow. With my hand still in his, he pulled me further toward him so that my body was flush against his. "Something much, much better," he reaffirmed, his voice husky.

I gulped.

His lips had found me once again, crashing onto mine with full, delicious force, and I succumbed to the passion that stirred between us.

We fell atop a boulder, his scrumptious weight against my body, and I felt his lips make a wet trail of hungry passionate kisses down my neck and towards my cleavage. He began to growl, and by instinct, my body tensed beneath him.

Sensing the stress of my limbs as I suddenly grew cautious, he stopped his kisses and looked up at me with worry. "Rose? Are… are you okay? Is this okay?"

Taking in his look of concern, I suddenly felt terrible. "I'm fine," I replied quickly, dismissing my abrupt feeling of unexplainable unease.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, his beautiful crimson-rimmed gold irises staring back at me.

"I want this," I said, affirmatively, pulling him in for another kiss.

His lips found mine again with renewed enthusiasm. His hands had been resting on my hips, but now they moved slowly up to my ribcage before settling once again on my breasts. He massaged them gently and I felt myself moisten at my core as I gasped into his mouth.

He moaned in response, and his hands began to move with more determination as they kneaded the aching mounds on my chest. Finding my hardened nipples with his fingers he began to pinch them through the cotton of my dress, and his moan became a snarl. Though the snarl sounded as if it was made more in lust than in menace, my eyes instinctively opened.

Rapidly, my desire deteriorated as my mind began to panic. I tried to hold onto the idea that I wanted this—I wanted Emmett—but my mind wouldn't return to the present. As Emmett moved and growled above me, images entered my head that were out of my control. I saw myself struggling under Viktor as he hit me and tried to lick my face. I felt the helplessness as Royce and his men tore at my clothes and forced me to the cobblestone street, pressing and slamming themselves into me as I screamed and cried.

I found myself stiffening once again under Emmett's weight, my arms letting go of him as they straightened out to my sides.

It took only a moment for Emmett to realize something was wrong. He immediately halted his groping and kissing to look at me. "Rosalie?" he asked again, worry painting his voice. "Rosalie, what is it?'

"It—it's nothing," I lied, unable to look at him in the face.

"You know, you're an amazing woman," he began as he sat up beside me, "but a terrible liar." His eyes were guarded, but his brows were arched with fret. "Tell me what's wrong. What are you thinking?"

I let out a shaky sigh. How could this bother me now? In all the time that I'd wanted Emmett, why did my past have to haunt me now?

He remained hovering over me, his beautiful puppy-dog eyes watching me carefully. "Rosalie, if you don't want to do this we don't have to," he said.

I was still unable to look into his eyes. "Ha-have you done this before?" I asked.

"Uh… this? Well, I—not completely," he admitted bashfully, fumbling at his words.

"Not completely?" I asked looking at him, perplexed at his answer.

"Well, I've… done stuff… just not… all the way," he revealed slowly.

My lower lip began to tremble when it all hit me. As much as I physically wanted to give into my desire, I mentally I couldn't do it.

Misunderstanding my reaction, Emmett spoke immediately. "None of them meant anything, I promise," he said holding his hand up. "No one ever compared to you."

I looked at him. "Emmett, I'm sorry," I breathed in a small voice.

"I promise, Rose. You're the only one that's ever mattered," he continued, still under the wrong impression. "And you'd be my first… and my last."

I gazed at him silently, before I reluctantly looked away. How did I not know he was still a virgin, and one that was so willing to save himself for love? Realizing this, I felt inadequate and unworthy. I was already… tarnished. Royce and those men had tainted my virtue.

I heard him gasp, catching my attention. I was met with curious eyes, and an arched brow. "Ha-have you… done it?" he asked, and his tone was hesitant as if he was dreading the answer.

I shook my head, but then my lip started to tremble uncontrollably. "No… I don't… I…" How do I answer such a question? My limbs began to shake, and I could see my golden tendrils trembling in my peripheral vision.

Emmett's face became a look of horror as he regarded my reaction, realizing what I was referring to in my confused answer. Though I never spelled it out for him, I knew he had put together what exactly transpired my last human night with those men. "Oh, Rosalie," he uttered with sheer pity and regret. He lifted me to sit up and held me in his arms as I buried my face in his chest and let out a sob that I was had been holding back.

"Shh," he whispered, quieting me down as he stroked my hair slowly. "I'm so sorry, Rosalie. I didn't mean it like that... I just thought that… maybe, since he was your fiancé that, maybe sometime before that…"

I shook my head wordlessly to give him an answer.

He pulled me apart from him by my shoulders to look at my face. "Okay, that means you never have."

"But I've—they—I'm not—"

"No," he said forcefully, cutting me off. His eyes shut for a moment before opening up to look at me. "What happened to you was not your fault, you hear me?" he breathed, his voice trembling and cracking in his whisper.

I continued to sob as I heard him, my limbs and body still rigid as he held me against him. I felt his hands slowly move up to my face, cupping my head in his palm, his fingers gripping gently at my cheeks.

Pressing his teeth together in anger as he thought about my last horrible night as a human, and he snarled. "Th-that doesn't count. You are perfect. No matter how scumbags thought to make you dirty, you are perfect, okay? You're my angel. You hear me?"

I averted my eyes as I choked on another sob. Even through the dirtiest crud from my past, he was still wonderful. Did I really deserve him?

"Rosalie, look at me," he pleaded. "That does _not_ count. That was an act of violence and demoralization against the person you are and the beauty that is you." He leaned his forehead into mine. "Baby, please," he whispered softly. "That was not your fault. You are my perfect little angel. _Please."_

I shut my eyes, slowly nodding. Though I wasn't convinced completely, I couldn't deny his touching words and gentle understanding that filled my softened heart.

"That's my girl," he whispered as he leaned in to press his lips against my forehead. "If you don't want to, Rosalie, it can wait."

I hung my head in guilt, and he pressed his face into my hair. I had delayed our union long enough. Surely things would work out perfectly but it seemed nothing ever did. "Emmett, I'm so sorry," I blurted out in a sob this time.

"Hey, hey," he breathed gently against my hair. Pushing my chin up with his forefinger to face him, he stared me straight in the eye. "_You_ need to stop that."

"But I wanted this to be perfect."

He gave a small smile as he brushed my hair out of my face. "I'm sure you did."

"But I don't want to refuse you. Today should be the day."

"Hey," he said furrowing his brow at me. "Who says?"

"It's just been so long, and I'm sure that you may have been looking forward to this, and so have I—"

Interjecting, Emmett muttered, "Rosalie, baby, we have all of eternity to make up, sweetheart." He shook his head in surprise at my statement. "I don't mind waiting till you're ready. I want this to be right."

I regarded his gentle expression as he looked at me so lovingly, but I also noted the erection still tenting his trousers and I smiled apologetically. "I don't think everything about you is willing to wait."

His sight followed my eyes, and he laughed. "Well, that just happens around you anyway," he admitted timidly.

I laughed in response, knowing full well that I had dampened my own panties in our little reunion. A sudden thought hit me, filling me with delight. "Did you just call me baby?" I asked.

He smiled even bigger now, his dimples setting deep into his cheeks. "Is that all right with you?" he asked

I thanked a higher power that I was now able to smile back at the electric warmth and shivers that his dimples gave me. "I think I could get used to it," I said, trying to feign nonchalance.

He leaned in for a soft kiss, gently massaging my lips with his. He pulled away to look at me in the eye, a slight grin on his face.

"Are you sure you don't mind waiting?" I asked again.

He placed a chaste kiss on my lips as his thumb rubbed my cheek. Pulling away, he beamed at me as his blood speckled citrine eyes lit up. Seeing my own reflection in them seemed to reinforced that we were right for each other. Comforted by that thought, I returned his smile.

With the greatest conviction his voice, he replied, "I'd wait forever for you, Rosalie Hale."

* * *

We're nearing a full lemon, I promise. I just think it would be unrealistic for her to jump in the sack with Emmett after her previous experiences. At least all the stubborn pigheaded drama is over!

And for those of you concerned that Strength and Remorse will spoil V&P, Chapters 1 (and 2 when i get to it) will be a glimpse of his human life that won't exactly spoil too much for V&P's plot. I will warn you, however, that there is a "crazy" lemon at the end of Chapter 1... Emmett was a baaad, baaad human boy, lol.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	21. Chapter 20: Revelations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version. **_

**Chapter specific warning: I basically took a lemon and squeezed it lightly throughout this whole chapter, but there are two full lemons in it somewhere. You've been warned.**

I apologize for the long wait with this chapter. Real life has been hectic these past few weeks, and took over my writing time. I'm back though!

As always thanks to cfmom her betaing expertise. If it rocks, its all on her.

My endless thanks to texbelle, my twilighted validation beta, for her constant support and timely validations.

I would like to thank my loving and supportive boyfriend, Mike, for a lot of inspiration for this chapter.

A shout to the DHGs, you all know who you are, and I can't thank you enough for reading and reviewing and letting me take you to my tiny world where only our loveable Emmett and Rosalie live.

And, of course, all the V&P Readers, thanks so much for allowing me to take you on this ride! I appreciate your interest in this small story.

Playlist

Musiq Soulchild – Newness

Method Man and Mary J Blige – You're All I Need

Alicia Keys – If I Ain't Got You

Alanis Morrisette – Head Over Feet

Alicia Keys – Slow Down

Lauryn Hill – Can't Take My Eyes off of You

Eric Benet and Tamia – Spend My Life With You

The Roots ft. Musiq – Break You Off

* * *

**Chapter 19: Revelations**

"All right next question," Emmett muttered. "Unless you want me to go again."

"No, no," I answered through giggles.

The clouds moved lazily above us as we stared up into the partially sunny sky. It was nearing sunset, and yellowish orange beams danced and changed around us. Emmett was lying beside me on the grass next to the boulder we had leaned on in our short moment of passion before I had cut it short prematurely. Had it not been for his reassuring words and caresses, I'd still be feeling a tremendous amount of guilt for refusing him once again. By some strange twist of fate, the man I had fallen for accepted me unconditionally: my horrible past, my stubborn nature, and my questionable status of virtue.

His arm, which served as my pillow, had wrapped around my neck so that his hand was resting on my furthest shoulder; his thumb lightly rubbing at my upper arm. We had spent the first couple of hours laying here in silence before he decided to ask me questions, in an attempt to get to know me on a more personal level. I had spent the past hour of our heart-to-heart explaining my side of the story, and my reasoning as to why I still continued to play that vicious little game that we could now put behind us.

I smiled to myself before I asked my next question. "When did you first notice me?" I was very curious as to how his feelings had developed, and wanted to know what he had gone through when he wasn't speaking to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the side of his cheek turn up into a smile. "It's hard not to notice an ice cool angel taking flight as she holds you while you're dying." He turned to me, and my eyes switched from the sky to his happy face. "I thought I'd died and you were taking me to heaven, of course," he chuckled.

I giggled in response to his revelation, bringing my hand to his face as I pushed them into his dark curly locks. "Not that I didn't enjoy that answer, but I guess I mis-communicated my question. When was it when you noticed me as… someone to be with? What with your bloodlust and all."

He propped himself up on his side with his elbow. "Oh, Rosalie," he said, shaking his head. "There were many instances that pointed me in your direction."

"Like what?"

He bit his lip as he studied me, taking his free hand to brush an errant tendril away from my face.

That simple touch elicited a shiver from me as I watched him, eagerly for an answer.

"Well, there was that time in the garage, after my hunt when that cat had ruined my shirt." His mouth turned up into a full cheeky grin as his eyes turned away and became slightly unfocused.

I looked away and remembered that the scent of my yearning was what had affected him so strongly that night, biting my lip.

"Hey, you asked," he muttered, watching my reaction. "I was merely answering your question."

"Well, what else?" I asked again eagerly, still unable to look at him.

"Our first hunt alone," he admitted quietly.

My eyes opened wide and I turned my head towards him sharply. "Our first hunt? You didn't notice me at al because you were busy drinking."

"Hmm, was that before or after I had hunted?"

"Before, during… what does it matter?"

"It matters," he sighed, leaning over towards me as he took his opposite leg to place it over mine. His face was inches from mine at this moment. "I can't be distracted when I'm thirsty," he whispered, leaning into me, "but I'm more than happy to stare down your shirt and enjoy your thigh peeking out of a torn skirt when I'm satisfied."

I burst out into laughter when I realized that his glances towards me on the way home were not a figment of my imagination after all. Throwing my head back as I laughed I suddenly felt his lips on my neck.

As if by instinct to what he was saying, his hand had traveled to my knee and slowly inched upwards, stopping halfway up my thigh. I shivered as I felt his fingers curl around the shape of my thigh. He squeezed my flesh as his kisses traveled up and down my neck.

My breathing came in shallows rasps as a powerful need grew in my chest. It trickled down to my womb, where it spread like a brushfire and wetness began to accumulate in my nether regions.

However, for a fraction of a second, in my mind I saw a glimpse of the face of one of the men that Royce had encouraged to attack me so savagely as he tore through my dress. With that thought, I remained a bit stiff beneath Emmett. Luckily, this time, I was able to push back the thought and kick it aside, which allowed me to refocus on Emmett.

Noticing my unbending demeanor, Emmett halted and looked down at my face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I got carried away."

"It's okay," I said. "I'm getting used to it… slowly."

"I shouldn't've—"

"No," I interceded. His irises — the color of blood oranges—looked at me with concern and apology. I couldn't help but want to comfort him. "I… I do like it when you to touch me," I admitted, softly.

He leaned in to kiss me softly on my lips, his candy mouth so warm and saccharine against my tongue. I reached up again, my hand lifted and found his hair as my fingers curled around his short, dark locks.

He began to groan against my mouth, and suddenly pulled away from me. "All right," he breathed, rolling onto his back again.

I peered downwards and realized that the front of his trouser was tight against his obvious erection once again.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"Don't be sorry," he assured me, a smile cracking across his face. "I like that I get to kiss you when I want to now."

I smiled to myself at the thought, leaning my head further into the crook of his neck as I focused on the cloudy sky once again.

"So the first time you knew that you had feelings for me would have been the garage?" I asked, trying to figure it all out.

"Feelings for you? No, not the garage. That was just the first time I felt a _desire_ for you," he responded as his eyes peered at me from their corners. "The beginning of my weakness," he said in a deep, playful tone.

I laughed in response, giving him a light playful swat on his shoulder before turning my head toward him then. "So when?"

"Well, there were two instances," he began, turning the top half of his body toward me so that we faced each other. "One was when we spoke in the living room, and I first heard your story about how… you were changed."

My eyes traveled away from his and back for a split second, knowing he skirted around the true nature of that conversation. I nodded my head at him to continue, grateful that he made such a thoughtful edit in his words.

"But really the very first time, I had no idea what I was feeling." This time his eyes were the ones to travel away from mine. He seemed hesitant to continue.

I thought to push him but bit my tongue instead, feeling that he needed a moment to decide how to express what he wanted to say.

"It was that first day… right before I decided to… leave you," he said.

"The day you woke from your change?" I confirmed, earning a slow nod from him in response. I furrowed my brow in confusion. "When you were gone?"

"Well, when I was gone, yes. But the very first moment was when I saw you lying there… after I'd…" His voice trailed off as he rolled onto his back again. He stared unseeingly towards the moving clouds.

Carefully I brought my hand to his chest, and began to draw circles with my forefinger.

He shut his eyes and I felt him shiver at my touch. I smiled at the thought that I had such an effect on him. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes again, still looking up at the sky. "The look on your face… the pain in your eyes… the physical harm I did by my own hand…" he began to lament.

I brought my hand to his face, making him turn towards me. "Hey, don't talk like that," I said with resolve. "You didn't know what you were doing."

He scrunched shut his eyes almost immediately when they met mine. It was like it was painful for him to look at me. "I just… I can't believe I hurt you.'

"Emmett, open your eyes."

His lids slowly rose. His brows had moved into a regretful arch. His eyes were round, large, and pleading. "Something was burning inside of me, and I thought it was my thirst. I later realized I had messed up and nearly destroyed you. The one who saved me… the angel that held my hand while I changed; while I burned."

I opened my mouth to speak, but this time he had brought his finger to my lips to shush me.

"Please, let me finish," he requested, looking at me before his gaze became unfocused as he seemed to think this through. "I broke my own heart by turning on you that day. I ran from you because I didn't think I was worthy of you after what happened, and the fact that I didn't think I could follow the family diet didn't help at all."

I leaned in silently to kiss one of his dimples and then pulled away to look at him. I could tell he had more to say, so I waited patiently.

"I was gone for a while. It felt like years. How long was it? A week?"

"Nine days," I responded, without thinking. "Nine days, 4 hours, 27 minutes." My eyes shut as the memory of my depression crashed through me.

I suddenly felt his cool breath near me, and his lips pressed against my forehead before he pulled away. Opening my eyes, I caught his handsome face, full of repentance. "I didn't make anything right, did I?' he asked. "Hurting you, and then leaving you?"

I shook my head in disagreement. "No… you did right." I focused my sight back on him as I stopped shaking my head to look directly at him. "You came back."

A corner of his lips rose in to a half smile. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. No matter who or what I hunted, or the distance that I traveled, my mind kept seeing your face: those golden eyes, the lovely angles of your cheekbones, the long wavy blonde hair, the smile you gave me when I first awoke. I didn't understand why I kept thinking about you: the woman who carried me, the woman that wouldn't leave my side for a moment while I changed. I just couldn't forget you, even if I tried… and I did try. I ran hundreds of miles, hunting many that crossed my path."

He took a sharp breath before continuing, his eyes focusing unseeingly at my shoulder. "After I had… hunted the young girl, I couldn't stop regretting it. She looked… like someone I used to know, and after I had drained her, I took one look at her body and I felt guilt. I felt regret. Regret is… a new feeling for me. Well it _was_ until I became a vampire. Seems that everything I did as a newborn was something I hated the day after. It's not how I lived my human life, and it's certainly not how I want to live eternity."

I took Emmett's hand into both of mine, sandwiching his palm and fingers between them. I squeezed his hand reassuringly. I had known from Edward that remorse was new for him. I just had no idea that it would take the great toll on him that it evidently did.

His eyes switched to focus on me now. "I realized that I needed to return to you and to this family. I couldn't keep hunting like I was, and not turn into some kind of animal; the guilt was too much. When I was so angry at myself for killing the young girl, I just kept seeing your eyes… your hurt yet forgiving, golden eyes.

"I knew I had to stop, but I knew that I couldn't do it alone. I thought that perhaps your family could help me, but that wasn't the only reason I wanted to return; to stop running. I knew I had to see you again, one way or the other. I hated that I couldn't keep away from the desire of wanting to be with you. I didn't understand it, but it consumed me whenever my throat wasn't on fire from thirst.

"When I returned, I knew I had to apologize, but one look at you sent me reeling back into remorse. I couldn't get out of my mind that I had inflicted pain on you and even tried to kill you." He sighed, looking down and shaking his head. "I knew it wouldn't be safe if you came near me. You seemed to want to be so close, and I just couldn't afford that sort of physical proximity without fear of turning on someone; of turning on you. When I finally had the guts to confront you and apologize, I knew I couldn't have you near me.

"Edward and Carlisle were the ones I could trust myself to hunt with because they didn't need to be right beside me. And even though I didn't permit myself to be around you—or to even notice you at times—I promise you, Rose, you were in my thoughts. I couldn't escape from thoughts that surrounded you, even if I was distracted by my thirst. The moment I satiated my appetite, my mind would be filled with images of you. However, out of concern for your health and well-being, I steeled my will to keep from acting upon any of it. There were instances of course, where I couldn't help but pay attention to you, like when all of you were sharing your stories of how were changed, or that first night in the garage, or the many hunts alone with you when I finally did trust myself and I was done feeding."

As the breeze blew I caught a familiar scent. Looking over at Emmett I could tell he caught it, too.

"Edward?" he asked me, narrowing his eyes as his nose flared. Emmett sat up suddenly, turning to look over his shoulder in the direction against the wind, trying to scan the wilderness for his brother.

I nodded in response to him before mentally turning my attention to Edward. _We're fine, Edward,_ I called out in my thoughts. I figured he was coming to see if anything had happened. I knew that we'd been gone for hours, so I wasn't surprised by his caution. _Don't worry about us. We're just talking._ In a moment, his scent was gone, not even a trace of his stealthy footsteps reached our sensitive ears.

Once he realized that Edward had left, Emmett continued. "The day I finally allowed myself to feel it... and permitted myself to face it... was that day you came down the stairs in your yellow glad rags… ready for that clambake." His eyes held a far away gleam as he remembered, and his smile was cracking from ear to ear. He shook his head suddenly as if to bring himself back to the present. "_Man _you were a looker."

"Were?" I scoffed, playfully.

"Rosalie, you're a minxy, fiery, little dish—glad rags or not. You don't need to put on the Ritz to show yourself off. You know that just as well as I do."

"I do," I agreed, "but it's nice to hear you say it." I snickered before earning what seemed like a playful wrestling hold from him.

I laughed uncontrollably as I found myself under his body once again, his arms curled and locked around mine. "I'll gladly tell you everyday, over and over again. I would just need the same from you." His eyes were intense as he looked at me expectantly.

I beamed at his request, grasping that I hadn't ever paid him a compliment before. "You're an irritatingly handsome, beautiful man." Grabbing his face between both of my hands under his hold, I breathed, "A _sheik."_

He smiled at me with satisfaction before planting a big kiss on my lips. "I like being a sheik, but I'm not sure if men like to be called beautiful," he muttered, playfully.

"There's no other way I could describe you," I admitted. "And don't think I didn't notice that you are, in fact, a man. Your hulky physique would never lead anyone to believe otherwise." As the last words spewed out of my lips, I found it would have been a moment where my cheeks would burn with a blush if they could.

His dimpled smile set even wider across his face. "Hulky physique, huh?" he kidded back.

I bit my lip in response, averting my eyes from him. "So that night before the ball is when you realized how you felt about me?" I asked, returning to the original conversation.

"Yes," he replied, finally letting me go of his hold and laying my back flat on the grass. "When I got one look of you in that amazing dress, I finally just let all of my emotions for you take over."

I bit my lip as my mouth felt like it was going to break into a gleeful smile.

Still hovering over me, he studied my expression. "It had all been building up inside of me. It took you speaking up for yourself after I had saved you from Viktor, and when you stood up against me to stubbornly be my friend after almost hurting you."

I didn't dismiss how his eyes traveled away from my gaze as he uttered the last part of his statement. I could tell he was still ashamed of his burst of rage when he had turned on me that day.

He sat up suddenly, to look at the thicket of trees in front of us before he continued. "It took all of that for me to realize that this feeling wasn't going away. I realized that you were just about as decided about me as my heart seemed to be about you. I'd fought it long enough. Looking at you always reminded me of the harm that I brought to you. I hated the remorse I felt about hurting you. I concentrated on that for so long that I wasn't able to become conscious of what I was really feeling."

I sat up next to him, watching his striking profile as he spoke.

"I know, I'm a total chatterbox," he chuckled. Turning to me, he said, "I've never been dizzy with a dame like this, so you'll have to excuse me."

Snaking my hand through his arm, I slipped my hand into his fingers and squeezed his encouragingly. "I don't mind it at all."

I felt his fingers close together, intertwining mine, and he raised our hands so that he could kiss the top of mine, shutting his eyes as he inhaled my scent.

The sun had slowly begun to set, setting into an orange glow around us. We both turned to our left to watch its burning glory as it began to kiss the horizon.

"After all of those months that you didn't speak to me, I wouldn't trade this for the world," I sighed. "It feels amazing to finally understand you."

"The feelings are mutual," he agreed, and I felt his gaze upon me.

I turned away from the setting sun to face him, his only inches away from mine.

"Tell me more about your side of the story," he requested, quietly. "You explained why you started to play games, but never how it all began for you."

"My side?" I asked. "That's easy. It was the moment I saw you. I flipped you over and took one look at you, and I—"

"Knew you couldn't live without me?" he interjected, a coy smile spreading across his face.

I squinted my eyes as I glared at him. "In so many words, yes. Somehow I knew I couldn't just leave you for dead, nor could I finish you off. It was a selfish thing, my bringing you to Carlisle, but I hoped that you would feel differently. I hoped that you would, but then you woke up."

He looked away, facing the sun as it was now setting half way into the sky.

My eyes followed his, watching the tangerine radiance of its beams blanket the surrounding hills, trees, and clouds. "I thought you hated me," I continued. "I stood by and watched you form a bond with Edward, and with Carlisle. I wondered when it would be my turn, and for months on end, it felt like it would never happen."

"I wish I'd had an insight to your thoughts. It was so confusing for me at times. Sometimes you responded to me, and then other times you just plain ignored me. I felt like being I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I took some measures in the hope that you'd notice me, but most of the time I just accepted whatever attention you gave me. I had no other choice, and I hoped that with all of my patience and understanding, that one day you would appreciate me for everything I had done."

"I do," he uttered, his hand reaching for mine, and squeezing it in a reassuring manner. He kissed me for maybe the hundredth time that day, but I couldn't get enough.

In silence, we laid on the grass beside one another for what could have been hours. In fact, judging from the darkness of nightfall, considerable time passed. The stars twinkled past the clouds above us as we watched them wordlessly, with a quarter-moon just to our west. It felt good to be in his presence without any tension, and to be able to finally enjoy his company.

We sat up again when we began to chat some more. A small question occurred to me and I turned to him suddenly. His face looked luminescent in the blue light of the moon. Feeling my stare on him, he turned his head to face me, his eyes curious as he waited for me to speak.

"If the night of the ball was the first night you realized what you felt for me, then why did you leave me in the woods?"

I heard a sharp sigh escape his lips.

"I'm sorry, Emmett. I just… I want to know."

"I only just started to recognize my feelings for you when I ran into you in that clearing." He had averted his eyes once again, I assumed as a courtesy to my modesty.

I couldn't help but appreciate that about him, because the instance of being caught pleasuring myself was humiliating without seeing his discovery replay across his features.

"All these… urges came to me that I didn't recognize anymore—not right away at least. I wasn't sure how to deal with it, and considering the danger I'd pose to you, it scared me. All I could do was run. As days passed, I couldn't stop thinking about it, and when I finally was alone with you, after hunting, I guess I…" he gulped before continuing, "…snapped. I was right to run away. Look what happened the next time we were alone. I didn't have time to mentally prepare myself for that type of intimacy. I was reacting purely on my animalistic urges."

"So what makes today different?" I asked, curiously.

"I've been… able to concentrate," he mumbled. "I've prepared for this moment for the last month or so. Once in a while I had Carlisle, Esme, or Edward come to stand close to me while I was still thirsty to test my urge to turn on someone. In fact I'd ask Esme—Edward and Carlisle even— to approach me before I had a meal, just to make sure I wouldn't hurt them. I would even challenge myself and have one of them try to hug me. If I couldn't hurt them, I know I definitely wouldn't try to hurt you. Honing in on my determination to fight and gain control over my urges and reactions, I've been improving. Of course a few close calls happened. I almost punched Esme once, but I was able to let her talk me out of it. I pushed Carlisle from me a few times, and knocked Edward down many times before I could get myself grounded."

All of this had come to a surprise. I knew that they all hunted with Emmett when I wasn't speaking to him. I just hadn't known that he was working with them to prepare himself to be around me.

He shook his head. "I just couldn't live with myself I hurt you again, Rose. I refuse to let that ever happen."

I kissed him softly then, unable to help myself. He was my true prince.

"I'm worth about a plugged nickel without you, Rose," he confessed in a whisper.

"Well, I'm nothing without you, Emmett," I admitted.

He brought his hand to my cheek, his thumb rubbing my skin. As I unconsciously leaned toward him, he tipped his head forward to lean in for a kiss. His candy lips were a soothing, warm comfort to my mouth. He leaned into me so that I found myself suddenly lying back onto the grass-covered tundra; his strong, warm body pressing against me.

My nipples hardened beneath his body. The scent of my arousal was now decidedly stronger as this was just one of many necking sessions we had engaged in all throughout the late afternoon and this evening. My panties had become drenched between my thighs. I felt my nether lips slip and slide against my sensitive spot as I rubbed my legs together beneath him.

The electricity sizzled between us as his weight once again pressed against my all too willing body. It seemed the longer I was around him, and the more I practiced at necking, the easier it was for me to control and set aside the horrifying thoughts of my past experiences.

I gasped into his mouth as he nipped and sucked on my lips. I could hear his deep, raspy breath as they took in the aroma of my desire, and the warmth of my mouth. He pulled away suddenly to look at me in the eye.

"I know that you're trying to take things slow, and I don't mind that but... there are ways of engaging in things that don't involve…I mean, I was just thinking that… maybe you'd allow me to… satisfy your… desire." He seemed to be struggling to find his words. "A helping hand, if you will."

Even as I heard his words, it took me a brief moment to put together what he was trying to say. Reading my somewhat puzzled expression he opened his mouth again.

"To assist you in…" he began again, but he let his voice trail off instead. He shook his head suddenly as if to clear his mind from the idea. "I'm so sorry. I know that you're not ready."

My eyes widened when I realized what he was implying. The throbbing, swollen flesh between my thighs seemed to twitch in anticipation of his touch.

He had averted his sight from me before continuing on. "Maybe it's for the best because I'm still a bit apprehensive about my control around you anyway so—"

"No, no!" I exclaimed suddenly, interjecting and startling him in return.

"Rosalie?"

My breath began to quicken as I began to speak, knowing full well that I wanted this, and I was going to try to make it work. "I… would like that… very much."

He leaned over to me to kiss me with passion at my acceptance of his request, but a hint of nervous butterflies fluttered in my stomach as he did so. Awkwardness settled between us as he positioned himself above me, knowing this time it would lead somewhere further than our simple necking sessions up to now.

He straddled my left thigh between his knees as he lifted my right leg up above me. Slipping his hand under my skirt and slowly up my thigh, he dusted his fingers across the satiny fabric of my panties. Such a simple motion across my already sensitized flesh brought out a gasp of pleasure from me.

He moaned as he took his fingers to move the crotch of the satin aside, the tips of them gliding across my dewy flesh. I watched as his eyes shut and his nose flared at the scent of my arousal that was now permeating the air around us.

Instinctively I slipped my tongue out to glide along my top and bottom lips before retracting it and gulping as I lifted my head up to observe him. I felt myself trembling out of a combination of apprehension and eagerness. I had never done this before, but I wanted it with acute fierceness that I'd never experienced before.

"Is this all right?" he asked me, realizing that I was beginning to tremble. Even though his eyes were darkened with lust, his eyebrows suddenly arched out of concern for me. That hesitation; that concern for me reaffirmed how much I wanted this.

"Yes," I gasped. "Please continue." I was just short of begging for it—for him to be the one to give me my relief from the months of torturous sexual tension between us. The next few moments were pure bliss.

As I brought myself down from the aftermath of my orgasm, I looked up to find him bringing his fingers into his mouth, sucking my juices off as he closed his eyes. His mouth had watered throughout the process, and I heard him gulp my juice, along with all the venom that had pooled there in his wanton lust. I saw that his erection was quite prominently bulging in his trousers, and the front area was saturated from what I imagine to be his own fluids.

I reached my hand out slowly, awkwardly looking to touch him in his place of need.

"No!" he said abruptly, swatting my hand away.

"Emmett—"

"Rosalie, I can't let you do that," he cut me off, his voice a forceful growl. "Hours ago you were crying from some nightmarish memories. You can't possibly expect me to be selfish enough to have you…" he let his voice trail.

I sighed as I listened to him, common sense helping to cleanse my lust-clouded brain. He was right. Even when I found him pleasuring himself in the woods, it was too much for me to grasp the reality of it all. I distinctively remembered Royce's men pleasuring themselves while they watched each other take turns raping me. My stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought. "Okay," I agreed.

Getting up from his kneeling position, he held his hand out to help me on my feet. I adjusted my dress, buttoning the top and repositioned my brassiere. I felt a draft as I knew I was now panty-less underneath my skirt. I checked around the perimeter to look for the remnants of my satin drawers, only to find nothing.

I looked at Emmett's trousers, a slight piece of pink satin peaking from his back pocket. I watched as he buttoned his shirt, tucking it neatly into his trousers, and pushing the satin further into his pocket.

We returned home that evening in awkward silence. It was about quarter until midnight, and we had been gone for well over seven hours. We never really established what we would say and how we would act in front of the other family members. Reaching the estate I didn't know whether to let go of his hand or not, and when I tried, his grip held my hand firmly in place. I turned to him with a smile, and he smiled back at me.

The family was all gathered in the living room listening to the radio, enjoying some mystery program. Their heads turned toward us in unison as we stepped through the door, all of their eyes travelling down to notice our hands that remained together.

Wordlessly, Emmett let go of my hand. He headed up the staircase, and I heard a door shut followed by running water. I assumed he had used the bathroom to wash his hands. I had done the same, walking as casually as I could over to the kitchen to do so.

Esme's joyful face also held a bit of curiosity, while Carlisle appeared happy for me as he squeezed his arm around his wife. Edward's expression was both a mixture of a smirk and disgust.

The next afternoon Emmett and I excused ourselves from the family as we went out for another hunt. Esme and Carlisle nodded goodbye, and Edward gave us a knowing smirk before returning his attention to compose a piece on the piano.

I paused as my conversation with Esme early that morning entered my mind. She had knocked on my door and I let her into my room as I finished brushing my hair. Patting the cushion next to her as she sat on my couch, I walked over to sit beside her.

"Rosalie, I wanted to talk to you, about... intimacy." She squirmed uncomfortably on my couch before continuing. "I know what you feel for Emmett. I could only imagine how exciting these new feelings are, especially for you two, in your long awaited start for such a thing. I am just as happy for the both of you as you are for each other. But I know that with romantic feelings come… certain urges."

I giggled. "Esme, if you're here to talk to me about the birds and the bees, I think you're a tad too late."

"Oh?" Her head tilted at a curious angle as she lifted her brow at me quizzically.

I studied her expression realizing my previous statement could be misconstrued. "Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean it—not in that sense. Just that I know what it all means. I know what a man and a woman do together, and where babies come from." I averted my eyes from her, knowing that pregnancy would never be an issue in our unchanging bodies.

Esme cleared her throat. "Well, yes, dear, there is that." She placed her hand on mine. "But there is the emotional impact that the physical act of love can leave you."

I furrowed my brow at her.

"It is a powerful bond that you forge with your partner when you engage in such a thing. As vampires, it's life changing. It is a great deal to us, since we are inevitably unchanging beings."

She took a deep breath before continuing again. I knew to give her the respect of letting her finish her gentle lecture, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation was. "Strong emotions can… alter our beings in fixed ways; alterations that would remain permanent and engraved in you. I'm not in any way trying to discourage you from engaging in the act of love. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but instead just want to help guide you. It's a very beautiful and important thing, and can provide some of the greatest pleasure we could ever hope to experience. It comes only second to tasting the blood of humans.

"Because it's such a great deal, I want you to know that you should never feel rushed. I don't want you to go into anything that you don't feel ready for. It's perfectly all right to wait, and I encourage you to do so. You and Emmett have all of eternity to experience love in all of its forms. Enjoy one another, and move forward when it's right for you."

She combed my tresses with her fingers as she spoke, smiling at me at the end of her soft-spoken pep talk.

I responded by returning a smile, and giving her a hug. I knew I would never need to look further than my own house for a mother. She was everything I ever wanted in a guardian. "Thank you, Esme," I whispered into her caramel locks.

That conversation with Esme left me great confidence in my choice of waiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Emmett as he leaped onto a tree, bringing me out of my reverie and back into the West Virginia forest. I followed him up the branches as he raced me to the topmost strong branch to stand on, as we looked onto the wilderness together, searching with our eyes and ears for some prey.

We hunted a few deer before settling on a clearing somewhere in the abandoned Kentucky forest. As eager as two lust-ridden teenaged humans, we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves. We began petting heavily, engaging in conversation between sessions. It was much like the previous day, but this time, we were confident in one another. Throughout the course of the six and a half hours, we lay on the grass and wildflower covered ground. My brassiere and silk drawers were hanging from a branch on a nearby tree. Out of understanding for my modesty, he encouraged me to keep my dress on but left it unbuttoned at the chest. With his skilled hands, he had brought me to completion a total of three times. This third and final time, I crooned beneath him as his fingers moved to bring me to my climax.

I watched him as he sat back, his heavy lidded gaze never leaving me as his body trembled with an acute need for release. My eyes traveled down to his crotch where his trousers had tented, leaving another small patch of saturation where I assumed his tip was nestled.

Curiosity and lust filled my mind once again. As soon as I could breathe and think normally from the euphoria of my orgasm, I sat up. Instantly I reached one trembling hand out to feel the steel-hard member nestled within his pants and he flinched, looking at me with wide-eyed surprise. A groan escaped his lips. I began to move my hand back and forth along the length of his erection as I finally could make out the shapes of his quivering loins through the strained fabric.

"Rosalie," he gasped. "I told you that you don't have to do this." With as much willpower as he could muster, he took me by my wrist and lifted my hand from him. "I don't want you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable or squeamish."

"But you haven't found any relief," I replied. "I was with you since yesterday. You never once…"

"I know," he sighed. His eyes slowly shut at my words. "As much as I want it, I can't let you do something you might find difficult to wrap your mind around."

"But what if I _want _to do this Emmett?" I asked, bringing my free hand to touch his cheek. I leaned forward to kiss his lips softly.

He complied, moving his along with mine.

"Let me please you, Emmett," I begged in a whisper against his lips. "Let me give you the same gratification that you've given me over and over again today."

I freed the hand that he was holding by the wrist. Taking that same hand of his, I slipped it into my unbuttoned shirt, placing it over that frozen part of my anatomy were my heart once beat. "I swear with all my heart, baby. I want to give this to you."

I heard him gulp as he gazed into my eyes, his sight traveling the curve of my neck down to my chest. I felt his hand lowering in position as he began to palm against the gentle weight of my breast.

I let out a gasp at the sensation of his touch and his eyes moved back to my face. "I just don't want to force you into anything you're not prepared to do."

"But what if I _am_ prepared?" I asked again, snaking my arm through the tangled mess of our limbs so that I could bring my hand once again to his crotch. Cupping what I could through the tweed of his pants, I glided my hand along its hardened length. Though I was selfish in nature, I never knew I could love someone as much as Emmett. Therefore, the desire to please him and to take care of him was quickly becoming an important need for me.

Hearing a moan pour out of his lips, I instantly felt his hand change on my breast, and his thumb and forefinger were now pinching my pebbled nipple. I could only take that to be a signal of permission to move forward my intentions.

Nervously, I unbuttoned the fly of his trousers, pulling the zipper down. I saw his eyes watching my hand and he seemed to shake with anticipation.

Several instances later, he immediately fell onto his back, his breathing labored. This time he was the trembling one—weak from the onslaught of his release.

"Are you all right?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I'll be just fine," he managed to say through gasps as he tried to catch his normal breathing pattern. He reached his arms out to me, inviting me to lie beside him. "You're definitely my angel."

I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before lying beside him, my body partially on top of his. I nestled my head into the crook of his neck and smelled the cinnamon cedar scent of his collarbone, smiling against his skin. I had made progress today and was able to give my Emmett pleasure. More importantly, we had made progress in the last two days together, and we were now officially lovers.

* * *

Again I apologize for the long wait. Real life has gotten to the best of me lately.

1930's Vocabulary, in case anyone needs it:

Putting on the ritz – do/wear something in high style

Dizzy with a dame – crazy in love with someone

Dish/Looker – Good looking, hot

Glad Rags – Dressy Clothes

Sheik – A Sexy Man

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	22. Chapter 21: Redemption

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version. **_

**Chapter specific warning:A lemon exists in it somewhere. You've been warned.**

To my beta for this chapter: cfmom, who is chock full of "kickassedness," thank you so much.

Playlist:

112 - Cupid

Alicia Keys – No One

Musiq – So Beautiful

Floetry/Michael Jackson – Butterflies

John Mayer – Your Body is a Wonderland

Warrant – Cherry Pie

* * *

**Chapter 20: Redemption**

It was my last day of school, several final exams awaiting me. By then, it had been a few weeks since my last and final dance with Mr. Kent in our garage, and only a few days following my first wonderful night under the setting sun with Emmett. I never returned to my lessons with Mr. Kent after the garage incident, and the guilt from what I had done still bothered me when I thought of him. In my mind, I now addressed him as formally as I did out loud: Mr. Kent.

I was still full of shame and guilt for using him. Now that I had made things right with Emmett, I felt I needed to find a way to make things right with Mr. Kent. I wanted to redeem myself, and the good man deserved some sort of reward for putting up with and being the subject of my scandalous endeavors. I spent most of my day with my mind split in half: one side concentrating on the exams, and the other on Mr. Kent. I realized I wanted to find him some happiness, or give him some sort of opportunity.

During my final exam in Pre-Algebra, I looked to my right and noticed my classmate, Margaret Dickson. She was a senior like me, but socially reserved and shy; a genuinely nice person for a high school teenager. I had never noticed before how lovely she was, at least by human standards. She had shoulder length, sandy brown hair in tightly set waves, and gorgeous blue eyes. I knew that she used to take dance lessons with Mr. Kent, and when I had walked in on a few of their lessons I didn't miss the flustered coloring of her cheeks when she was in his arms, or how her heartbeat was the speed of a drum line. Of course when I entered the room, Mr. Kent would fall all over himself about me, and I could tell by the way she looked at me that she thought me to be her competition for his affections.

When the exam was over, I turned to her as she was wrestling to get her books together, a notebook almost falling from her desk. With supernatural reflexes, I caught it immediately, handing it to her with a disarming grin.

She looked at me and gave me a grim smile in return, her eyebrows furrowed quizzically, as I had never tried to interact with her before. "Thanks," she mumbled under her breath.

Previously I would only speak to her when required by the teacher, working with her to solve equations when we were asked to partner. I kept it very scholastic. I was all business, and I could understand her shock that I was suddenly paying attention to her. "Maggie, isn't it?" I asked in my most gentle tone, hoping my wind chime voice came out as soothing as I meant it to be.

"Uh… yes," she said, though it sounded more like a question. I heard her heart begin to beat erratically against her chest.

Realizing her subconscious human instinct for danger had her on edge, I gave her a sweet innocuous smile, turning my head to avoid the fluorescent light that may shine on my grin and accentuate on my razor sharp teeth. "You used to take lessons with Mr. Kent, correct?"

"I…" she gulped, her face automatically turning red at the sound of his name, "I did, yes. Why?" She was suspicious, and rightfully so. I didn't know many girls in school who actually liked me. However, I had an intuition that this girl seemed, in most cases, the least bitter with jealousy out of all the girls in my graduating class. She never once given me the evil glares that most of the girls did.

"I just…" I said and thought quickly about what I wanted to say before continuing. "Well, in my last lesson with Mr. Kent, he told me he was wondering why you had stopped lessons. He mentioned that he enjoyed his sessions with you." So it was a lie, partially. I knew he wondered why she had stopped her lessons suddenly, but he had never mentioned what he felt about her as a student or otherwise. I watched to see if she'd buy it.

"He did?" she asked, hope coloring her voice. She got up from her desk clumsily, and I gracefully stood up from mine. Suddenly her attention was eagerly on me, and she was more than thrilled to have me follow her to the door of her next class. Her features were quite lovely, with soft but defined cheekbones, her heart-shaped lips a lovely shade of coral; definitely a perfect match for Mr. Kent. It was a shame he had never noticed her before, but I figured with me now clearly unavailable that he'd take heed of this nice girl standing in front of me with a shine of hope in her lovely blue eyes.

The sound of her heart beginning to accelerate caused my lips to twitch a little bit at the urge to smile, but I kept my face as serene as I could. "Well, he did mention you as one of his prized students." That statement was the truth. He had mentioned his top three students in passing one evening, Maggie and I being the top two. "It's just such a shame that you ceased your sessions."

We reached the hallway, her classroom not too far from our previous one. She had on a lovely floral day dress, belted at the waist. I noticed what a nice figure she had. Of course, standing next to me she was plain, but so was anyone.

I saw her bite her lip, but the way their corners twitched upwards let my advanced eyesight see that she was hiding a smile. "I wanted to go back." She turned to me, her eyes bright. "I still do, but I had exams to concentrate on. Once they're over, my parents say I can attend lessons again. I'm so glad we finished all of our exams today."

Suddenly, she was full of chatter, giddy and giggling through her words, and I smiled once again. I knew I could never befriend her, but I suddenly missed my human Rochester girlfriends, mainly Vera. I didn't have many, my beauty rendering most of them insecure acquaintances, sighing with envy whenever they touched my perfect golden locks with their fingers. Vera was the only one, just as unusually kind as Maggie, who could stand to be my true friend no matter how my looks may have outshined her. "Well, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to have you back," I said.

"What about you? When was your last lesson with him?" she asked me, and I could hear the slight touch of insecurity in her voice.

"Oh I've… completed all of my training," I explained. "I guess I'm a fast learner."

"I see," she replied, raising one eyebrow at me. "So you're never coming back?"

"No," I said, shaking my head.

She shook her head. "It's just… he seems so… into you. You never once thought…"

"What? Mr. Kent?" I asked, trying my best to sound shocked. "Oh, no." I looked her straight in the eye, mastering the art of lying as a vampire would need to do in many human circumstances. "I would see him eyeing you when you weren't looking." I grinned through my words, a small white lie once again, but for a good cause. The bell rang and I realized we were late for our next class. "Whoops, history exam, I'll see you later," I said quickly before rushing out.

"Wait," I heard her call back, but I didn't turn around. All I did was smile at the seed I had planted.

A couple days later, I found myself in downtown Appalachia, standing outside of the flower shop. I accompanied Esme into town. She insisted on buying Edward and me roses for our commencement ceremony later that day. I didn't mind standing outside as she chose the flowers while in the shop. Only a few days after my relationship had solidified with Emmett, the fresh feelings of new love fluttered through my chest. I was able to think and daydream about him as my eyes scanned the busy streets filled with people. Low and behold, by sheer coincidence, Mr. Kent was walking out of a store across the street. His timing was impeccable.

Meaning to turn left towards the direction of his house, he caught me from the corner of his eye. I waved and he waved in return. I made a motion with my head as if to call him over, and gave him my disarming smile. I watched him hesitate for a moment, his eyes scanning the area around me, assuming he was looking for Emmett. Seeing that I was alone, he crossed the street over to me.

"Miss Hale," he breathed, taking an awkward stance before me. "Good morning. It's nice to see you. You're… looking as lovely as ever."

I nodded my head. "Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Kent."

A long moment of inert silence passed before the both of us spoke at once. "I'm really sorry—"

"I apologize for the last—"

We both laughed at the fact that we tried to talk on top of one another. He was such a good young man, barely twenty-one, with his whole life ahead of him. I knew he could make one lucky woman happy for the rest of her life.

"Look, how about we put that night behind us?" I asked him.

I watched a moment of hurt flash across his features before he straightened himself out, clearing his throat softly. "Of course," he agreed his face now stern with agreement.

The hurt that I saw across his features settled as a guilty lump in my throat. I couldn't stand to see him in pain any longer, and he deserved a chance at happiness. It wasn't that I didn't believe he could find it for himself, but I was sure that a boost in the right direction would help hasten the situation.

Straightening his suit nervously, he began to speak again. "So I hear you're graduating from high school today. Your parents must be proud."

"I am, yes," I said, nodding solemnly. "Carlisle and Esme are very proud."

"I'm sure it's a relief to finish."

"That it is," I agreed. "Will you be attending the ceremony?"

"I—" he began, but instead let out a harsh breath. "I'm afraid I don't have a good reason to." He averted his eyes from me.

"Really?" I asked with a tone of curiosity. "That's interesting, because Margaret Dickson is graduating as well."

He turned to me, his brow furrowed. "Maggie?" I watched his head tilt and it seemed he was considering something.

"Yes, she… told me how much she enjoyed your lessons… just the other day after our exam. It's quite unfortunate she couldn't attend them during the final exam season, but Maggie told me just the other day how eager she is to return to you."

I watched his features grow into thought as I spoke. "Did she?" he asked, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head with every word I uttered.

I nodded my head, giving him an encouraging smile. "Yes, I believe she's… _very_ eager to engage in lessons with you once again. Now that her exams are over, I believe her parents will allow her to take more ballroom instruction."

I watched his cheeks flush, but this time I knew it wasn't for me. He stood in a sort of dumbfounded stupor. I decided to let him process it for a moment.

Suddenly the door opened, and there was Esme carrying two dozen roses. "Rosalie can you hold the door open for me?" she asked, kindly.

I threw my hand out to hold the door, giggling at the large arrangements she had on each arm. This would have been something Mr. Kent would have happily done, but in his current state of delightful shock, he was too preoccupied to remember his manners. "Really, Esme, you don't need _that _many flowers for us."

"Nonsense, dear. High School graduation is an important rite of passage," she explained, before turning to my former instructor. "Thomas Kent, it's so nice to see you."

Shaking himself out of his trance he looked up at Esme. "Oh, Mrs. Cullen, thank you. It's very nice to see you as well. Let me help you with that," he offered, taking a dozen from Esme's arm.

Walking with us to the car, he helped Esme place the flowers gently into the Bentley.

"Thank you so much, Thomas," Esme said. She turned to me with a bit of suspicion in her eyes. "Shall we, Rosalie?"

"In a minute, mother," I responded for show. A light bulb flashed in my head with an interesting idea and I popped open the back seat door, grabbing, three roses from each dozen and bunching them together.

"Rose, what are you doing?" she asked, forcefully.

"Esme, just trust me on this, please," I asked her under my breath before popping my head out of the car and turning back to him.

"Please take these," I said, handing him the six roses of various colors.

"Oh no, I really can't," he said, waving his hands in front of him.

"Mr. Kent, please," I said. "Come to the graduation. I'm sure she'd love to see you there… _with_ these."

Suddenly his hands stopped, and he brought his arms to the side. I heard him gulp, and I gave him another encouraging nod and smile, holding the flowers to him.

"You really are amazing," he breathed.

"Not as amazing as _she_ might be," I said. "Maggie's had eyes for you for a long time, Thomas," I whispered, handing the flowers to him. I realized I had used his first name right then, but I felt I was doing this for him as a friend, so I addressed him as such. I was sure I was breaking some sort of human girlfriend's code of ethics by divulging such information, but in truth Maggie and I weren't really friends, and I was no longer human.

He lifted his arm to grab the flowers with his left hand, holding out his right hand to me. "It was a pleasure to be your instructor, Rosalie Hale. Not that you needed me much."

I giggled as I took his hand with mine. "It was a pleasure to have you, Thomas Kent," I said, shaking it gently. A slight pang of sadness hit me as I realized he had just uttered parting words, but I kept a smile on my face the whole time.

"Whoever he is, Rosalie, he's one lucky man." I wasn't sure if he'd known about Emmett, only assuming that he got the impression that large figure screaming profanities at him as he left our estate was someone I was involved with. He was a smart man.

I had nothing left to hide anymore, rather proud of having someone in my life after the last couple of years of loneliness. Whatever pang of sadness I felt for my chapter with Mr. Kent in my life ending was being replaced with happiness and love with Emmett, and that made me feel better. I smiled. "I know," I answered confidently. "But he's only just as lucky as the girl on the receiving end of those flowers."

Turning to the Bentley, I gracefully slid inside, giving him one last glance as I did so. He chivalrously shut the door, waving goodbye to us as we drove away.

As she drove on out of town and into the forest, Esme watched me from the corner of her eyes. "I was afraid you were up to some more shenanigans. I see that I was correct."

"Of sorts," I answered. "However, they're not of the nature of what you might think."

"Rosalie, dear, that was a wonderful, selfless thing you did. Who is the girl?"

"Maggie Dickson," I said. "He deserves to be happy, Esme. I want to make things right."

Earning a squeeze on my hand from hers, I smiled. "Emmett's really done you over something new, hasn't he?"

I laughed to myself. "I guess so."

Later that day, I sat in my cap and gown on the seat next to the fifty yard line of the football field in Appalachia high, adjusting my cap and fiddling with my tassle to keep it at the precise angle so that it hung over my face just right. It was a partially cloudy day, offering us the opportunity to participate.

Edward and I honestly didn't care to be here, but upon the insistence of Esme, we respectfully felt the need to appease her and properly complete our right of passage. Appalachia was the first time that Edward had posed as her son, the last few years posing as her brother in Rochester and the cities before. It was something special for her to be there for us and outwardly express her joys of motherhood; she was very excited show her true pride for her graduating adopted children.

Emmett wanted to come along, but Carlisle wouldn't allow it, considering he was still months from completing his newborn year. Instead, Carlisle offered him a good seat on a nearby hill overlooking the high school's baseball field, where we held the ceremony. He decided it wouldn't be right to keep Emmett from watching it fully, so he stood on that hilltop with Emmett as they used their heightened sense of sight and hearing to witness our commencement.

As I sat on the bleachers, my eyes scanned the many family members and friends of my graduating class. I saw Esme sitting with her two colorful bouquets, her smile beaming at me. I noted a certain green-eyed gentlemen three rows ahead of her and seven chairs to the right. I grinned at Mr. Kent when I caught his eye, and he nodded his head at me before turning his eyes back to my left. I turned to follow his eyes, finding that Edward sat by Maggie a row ahead of me, and a few people to my left.

Edward was, of course, a part of the accelerated graduation program. He was going to help us in college in the fall in case things got out of hand with Emmett. I was thrilled to know that the next time I would be attending classes, Emmett would be with me. We had already worked out a schedule with the local University, and Emmett was in line to take classes one of either of us in each of his classes.

The ceremony was a haze, and when they called out my name I felt the urge to look up towards the east at the glimmer that stood on a hill. Refocusing my eyes and my hearing, I could hear and see Emmett jumping down, hooting and hollering my name. Carlisle clapped beside him, laughing at Emmett's enthusiastic cheer. I laughed and waved slightly, even though no human could hear or see them from up here.

The end of the ceremony came and Edward found me in the midst of the large crowd of seniors and their families. My eyes surveyed the faces, looking to see if the seeds I had planted between Maggie and Thomas would come to fruition. Almost giving up, I turned back toward Edward. Over his shoulder and several feet away, I saw Thomas maneuvering through the crowd, making his way to Maggie and her family, I saw him present her with the flowers. This brought a huge grin to my face. Unable to contain herself, Maggie jumped up to hug him, her back turned to me. His arms lifted to encase her into him, but I guess he sensed my gaze. I saw his eyes switch to meet mine, witnessing my smile. I gave a small wave at him, earning a wink back.

Ecstatic, I turned away looking at Edward with my smug expression. _I could seriously make a career out of being a matchmaker—the most beautiful matchmaker in existence, that is. _

Edward shook his head at me. "Even when you're trying to do a good deed, you can't seem to turn off the vanity, can you?" he asked.

"Is there an off button for your mouth, too, then, dear brother?" I sneered playfully, a smirk setting on my face.

"Touché, sister, touché," he nodded, chuckling.

"Tell me though, gracious mind-reader. This first matchmaking endeavor of mine; was it successful?"

I watched his face as his eyes shifted side to side, probably sifting through the thoughts of others to get to theirs. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the same time that he tilted his head. "Wow, Rosalie. It seems it was."

Putting one arm around his shoulder I squeezed him to me in my moment of triumph. "See, I could make a living out of it."

He chuckled. "Maybe. I wouldn't quit college for it though," he murmured, his face twitching.

Esme met us with a huge hug, handing us the flowers.

"Oh, Mom," Edward gushed, wrapping an arm around Esme's shoulder and squeezing her to him. "You shouldn't have."

She hugged him bag tightly. "Oh, my Edward," she breathed, pulling away from him to look at his goofy face. "I wanted to."

I was welcomed by an overeager Emmett upon my return home from graduation, nearly tackling me after I received a hug from Carlisle. The others went inside, both of their arms around Edward.

"We're so proud of you, son," I heard Carlisle tell him.

"I've done this before, Carlisle," he laughed, and their voices trailed slightly as they continued their conversation in doors.

Still standing on the lawn I turned my attention to my mate. "This calls for a celebration," Emmett said, after lifting me and spinning me around in a circle. "We should go hunting."

"You always want to go hunting," I laughed, following him into the house.

"Only with you," he whispered into my ear before grazing his teeth against my earlobe, earning a soft cry from me. "I'll pack a blanket," he mumbled under his breath, and with that he was gone for a second and back again, with a bag.

The family had already disbursed to various activities, Esme looking over more detailed plans of the Hoquiam house, and Edward engaging in a chess match with Carlisle. I saw their eyes switch over to us, noting the bag we took on our hunt. I bit my lip on our way out, knowing that they tried their best not to react to its obvious purpose.

"I'll race you into North Carolina," he said.

"If you say so," I scoffed, pushing myself into a sprint into the woods before he could count us down.

He didn't bother racing me however. It was more like a chase through the forest. He would playfully try to grab my backside as I ran with him through the woods, only getting distracted when approaching the scent of live prey. He was, after all, still a newborn.

The control over his erratic behavior was improving as well. Once in a while, during our heavy petting sessions post-hunt, he would pull away, growling. I would patiently sit back and talk him through it as he calmed himself down, taking deep breaths.

As for my issues with my thoughts, they were still there, but not as much as before. We were intimate for almost every other day during this week, each day getting easier and easier for me to engage in some needed necking. It was all mind over matter: I'd wanted this for so long that I was able to slowly allow myself to enjoy it.

Out of respect for my requests, Emmett followed the pace that I'd set for our physical intimacy. He never complained and was always willing to "lend a helping hand" when needed, and I did so in return. Things were working out well.

After discarding my kill, he came up from behind me suddenly, wrapping his arms around my waist. I felt his warm breath on my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He nipped at my earlobe before flicking his tongue into my ear, earning a combined giggle and a moan from me. Grabbing me by my hips, he turned me to face him, his eyes darkened with desire as he silently let his hands move up my sides up right at my underarms. The side of his mouth curled up, his dimple denting that cheek, and I suddenly felt both of his hands move to my breasts. At that same moment, his lips crashed into mine, and I was thrown in a passionate kiss, happily received.

He lifted me up and I swing my legs forward to wrap them around his waste as he carried me to lean me against a tree. His mouth was immediately on my neck, traveling downward onto my collarbone. "I believe a congratulations is in order for you, lovely Miss Hale. I'm going to treat you really good today," he mumbled against my skin, his voice husky.

I gasped at the feel of his mouth sucking on my clavicle. "Is that so?" I asked, unbuttoning his shirt and peeling it off of his shoulders.

"Very much so," he whispered, and within seconds, he had unbuttoned my blouse and pulled off my brassiere, throwing it upward so that it would be caught by a branch. "You won't be needing that," he muttered before hiking me up higher against the tree trunk so that he could gain better access of my breasts. Leaning into my bosom he took a taut nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.

I whimpered at the soft, wet tissue of his tongue swirling around the tiny peak of my nipple. My arms wrapped around his torso, hands curled around his shoulder blades, and my fingers dug into his flesh. "Oh, yes, Emmett." In less then a second he had flipped me so that my back was on the grass once again, working meticulously over me; his hands and mouth exploring my body.

We began as always, him making the effort to please me first. He made a torturously slow exploration with his hands all over my chest and abdomen, paying particular attention to my bare heaving breasts. I shivered at as his hands worshipped my body, and a surge of liquid warmth escaped between my thighs.

His hands suddenly ceased, a deep roar erupting from his chest. He shut his eyes, breathing through his nose deeply. I watched his manly features deep in contemplation with baited breath. He was exercising his control over his animalistic urges, every day testing his newborn craze, each day passing becoming more successful. As the menacing growl subsided, he opened his eyes again, a small hint of a side grin twitching at his lips.

Lifting my skirt to my waist, he ran his calloused fingers and palms up and down my legs. Every new touch elicited a fiery desire within me, moistening at my core in anticipation. Pulling my panties off, he tossed them aside carelessly, a smile stretched across his face. Without further ado, let his fingers do their work. He was kneeling before me with my legs open wide to him, his hands moving steadily underneath my skirt, my underwear hanging from a tree nearby.

I squirmed beneath his skillful fingers. "Oh... yes," I gasped.

His expression was a mixture of smug and desire. He knew he had this power over me, and I was willingly his love slave: gelatin within his gaze, putty in his hand. He watched me carefully, admitting to me many times that he loved the expressions on my face when I was given pleasure. I saw him lick his lips when his eyes traveled down my sex, and I could make out the glistening of his watering mouth as he did so.

Biting his lip, he scooted himself down to lay on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows while he continued to swipe his fingers across my swollen knob of flesh.

I sat up to look at him. "What's wrong?" I asked, curiously. This was new for him, a position I had never seen him take while pleasuring me these last few weeks.

With a free hand, he gently pushed my torso back down. "Relax. It's a time to celebrate… and we're going to celebrate with something new," he breathed.

I wasn't sure what he meant by it, but I trusted him completely. I lay back and took what he offered me; another new experience.

Moments later, I had come down from the sensation of my new experience. Emmett pressed his lips to my forehead before stepping over to lay behind me, enveloping me with his arms and legs. "Congratulations, baby," he breathed, his voice raspy. I felt the insistent stiffness of his erection on my lower back.

"That was amazing," I whispered, slugging further into the cave of warmth that his body offered me. However, I didn't lay in that position for long, deciding it wouldn't be right not to return the favor. Flipping over onto my other side to face him, I slipped my hand down into his trousers. "I think I need to complete the transaction." I waggled my eyebrows at him suggestively.

My hand slipped between his legs, and I heard him gulp, his tangerine eyes turning dark again. "Well m'am, I don't think I have the strength to decline such an offer," he nearly growled.

With that signal to continue, I gave him the best pleasure my hands could ever give him.

* * *

Author's Note:

For those of you who asked, Chapter 2 of Strength and Remorse will be released after Chapter 22 of V&P. Thanks!

Also, it's my pleasure to announce that **V&P has been nominated for two awards** this season:

- **The Razzle Dazzle Awards: Best Pre-twilight** (Voting begins Sunday, 10/11)  
- **The Sparkle Awards: The Alice Award (Best Pre-Twilight)** (Voting begins Friday, 10/16)

I'll keep you posted with the URLs if you'd like to support V&P and participate in the votes. Its truly humbling to be nominated. Congrats to all the nominees!

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight


	23. Chapter 22: Firsts

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**_To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version._**

**Chapter specific warning: I basically took a lemon and squeezed it lightly throughout this whole chapter, but there are two partial lemons in it somewhere. You've been warned.**

To my betas for this chapter: cfmom, who kicks other beta's asses with her kickassedness, and smut-queen KariAnn (who supervised a lemon or two) thank you so much.

To my Mikey, who is my rock, and the best, most supportive boyfriend ever. I love you!

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**Vote V&P for The Alice Award (Best Pre-twilight) in the Sparkle Awards!** The polls open for the The Sparkle Awards from **today, Fri 10/16 to Sun 11/8. Visit: thesparkleawards(dot)webs(dot)com(slash)vote(dot)htm or check my profile for the link!**

**Chapter edited 11/8/2009**

**Playlist**

Black Eyed Peas – I Got a Feeling

Lil' Waynne – Like a Lollypop

Surface – The First time

Lifehouse – First Time

Boyz II Men – I'll Make Love To You

112 – Peaches and Cream

* * *

**Chapter 20: Firsts**

The clock read 4:17 pm. I had exhausted the use of my brush, running it through my perfect golden tresses so much that my hair now held a brilliant, glossy sheen. Placing my brush on my vanity, I drummed my fingers on the wood as impatience began to overtake me.

I grabbed a book—_The Secret Adversary _by Agatha Christie to be exact—and tried my best to concentrate as I read it. However, nothing could serve as a distraction to me when I was apart from him. Emmett had joined Esme and Carlisle on a hunt this afternoon. Edward was listening to some music on the radio in the living room downstairs and writing in his journal. I assumed he wanted a distraction from my thoughts as well, as he chose to stay at least one floor away from me and keep organized noise to further drown out my thoughts from his mind. Meanwhile, I sat in my room trying to keep the naughty thoughts that filled my brain from drowning my body in desire.

It was now the last week of June, twenty-seven days from the day Emmett had approached me with his declaration for his affections, and I had admitted I felt the same. Life had never been so wonderful. Sneaking loving glances at one another when we believed no one was looking, I would often catch him gaping at me when I looked his way. He wouldn't flinch, only smiling coyly in response. I would practice doing the same thing, but usually if I was caught gazing at him, I would be a bit embarrassed and look away before turning back to him and grinning sheepishly. Whether we sat beside one another and he would hold my hand underneath the table, or stretch his leg out if I sat across from him so he could touch his feet to mine, we were always finding small ways to touch one another in the presence of others. We didn't go hunting together all the time, but when we did we'd be gone for hours. Alone, we absolutely could not keep our hands to ourselves.

Ironically, it was getting harder and harder for me to commit to my own boundaries—the pace at which I, myself, set for our physical relationship. I found that the more comfortable I was with my body—the more at ease I was when he touched me—the more uncomplicated my thoughts became in reaction to being with him intimately. Somehow, I was getting over my horrible past experiences. It was a relief in itself to be able to move on.

However, I was a bundle of nerves on the inside. Moving forward was a big deal to me, having never experienced the act of love consensually. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the thought of his naked body against mine, his swollen member entering me and burying itself deep inside my heat. I wanted it badly, but still couldn't keep from anxious fear. Would it hurt? What if I didn't like it? What if he didn't enjoy it with me?

I stopped myself. I knew I was being silly. I was sure that he would enjoy it with me. Of course I would like it with him. I loved him. How else would I feel about making love to him?

I heard the radio's volume being turned up louder, assuming that Edward needed to drown my thoughts out even further.

I realized then that I had literally skimmed eighteen pages of my book without even absorbing one single word. Trying to turn my focus elsewhere, I thought of my last day of school. It felt good to know that I had done a selfless thing in throwing Maggie and Mr. Kent together. He was an honorable, respectable man and she was a sweet, lovely girl. I smiled as I heard through Esme and Carlisle that Mrs. Dickson, Maggie's mother, bragged about Mr. Kent's car being parked in front of their home quite often these days. I was thrilled to know that his courtship with Maggie was well received by her family.

The flashback of my graduation day came to an end, and I suddenly found myself on my couch in my room. I looked down on the bottom of my current page of my book, which read 38. _Great. I blanked out for most of the introduction._

I threw the book down, as it was useless to try and continue. I decided to lie across my couch this time, listening to a melody from below. I could hear more classical music from the living room as Edward listened to some Bach and Beethoven. He must've turned it down some since my thoughts weren't full of naughty deeds anymore. I smiled, trying to keep my mind out of the gutter.

My thoughts brought me back to graduation day, at the ceremony itself.

My mind filled with the memory of the many family members and friends of my graduating class, Esme smiling from the bleachers with her two colorful bouquets in her arm, Emmett jumping down as his booming voice hooted and cheered me on, with Carlisle applauding happily by his side on the hilltop. I was overwhelmed with pride and satisfaction as my plan came into fruition with Maggie as Mr. Kent approached her with the six beautiful roses.

Most of all, I remembered Emmett's naughty but memorable graduation gift. Who knew a man's mouth could be so skilled?

I heard tree branches wresting in the distance from my bedroom, snapping me back into the present time. Graduation took place two weeks ago, but the warm feeling I felt from helping Thomas's love life remained with me, as did the enticing memory of Emmett's mouth on my sex. I turned to look out the window, seeing three blurs of vampires approaching the house. Nearly squealing with delight, I flew down the stairs.

"You know, he's headed this way," Edward said calmly, without looking up from the newspaper he was reading in the living room. "I don't see why you have to run to him."

Ignoring him, I went crashing out the front door and into Emmett's arms, already wide open for me as he approached the lawn. "I told you I'd be back," he snickered.

"Not soon enough," I breathed, my fingers curling around the locks on his head as he lifted me and spun me around.

"I thought I'd live forever, but I think I'll soon die from being sick of these two," I heard Edward complain, leaning against a side of the doorway with his arms folded.

Carlisle and Esme laughed as they came into the house.

Placing my feet softly on the lawn, he then planted a chaste kiss on my lips before making a suggestion. "I think we should go out tonight."

"Go out?" I asked, cocking my head back.

"You know, like a date." He watched me as I furrowed my brow at him. "I'm new, but I wasn't sure if you had it in heavy on some other clambake this evening."

I chuckled at his colorful slang. "Now what kind of jam session could I attend without you?"

"Um… none actually, because I'd probably drain them all before the first song was over."

"Mmm… You bring up a good point," I breathed, curling my arm around his as we headed into the house together. "Where would we go? What could we do? You can't exactly go to many places with a thirst like yours."

"How about you leave that up to me? All you'll need to do is show up in something pretty," he said, a mischievous grin cracking across his lovely face.

And something pretty it was. Several hours later, I was clad in my "glad-rags," as Emmett would say, ready for my first official date with Mr. Emmett McCarty.

It was an Elsa Schiaparelli bias cut gown in an emerald green satin. The v-neck line was flattering on my pale skin, and the back was also in a deep v as well, ending in a soft sweeping train behind me. The fabric felt like butter against my skin, and I appreciated its texture considering I was a bit incoherent with anticipation for tonight's festivities.

I wore the gown with a lovely pair of leather Andre Perugia platform heals in straps of various shades of gold called the turban shoe. I loved the detail of the straps that crisscrossed at the ankle, set in the pearlized green leather chosen for the shoe. Andre's shoes were always lovely, and I was happy to have such a special occasion to wear them.

My hands were trembling as I eagerly clipped my hair in a emerald accented gold hair pin on one side, my tresses falling in beautiful waves and curls over my other shoulder. I exhaled loudly as I tried to calm myself down. Shaky hands were not good for applying rouge on my lips or mascara on my lashes. I had a crazy thought that maybe tonight, this date night, would be the night to finally let go of all my fears and let Emmett make love to me.

He met me downstairs in the living room, clad in a gorgeous stripped chocolate brown suit and matching brown derby hat. He slipped the hat off of his head and held it in his hands as I descended the staircase, his eyes full of awe and reverence as he took in my appearance.

A smile cracked on his face, his dimples firing like canons, as always, but this time its destruction to my demeanor was totally welcome. I wanted to feel the weakness and immense joy they gave me. The milky pallor of his skin set off by the color of his suit made his face glow as he beamed at me. I truly was the luckiest vampire in existence.

I whirled around, the hem of my dress flying in the wake of my movement before walking over. "You like?" I asked, always giving an opening for a compliment. I faintly noticed Esme and Carlisle watching us from the kitchen with smiles on their faces, but my focus was on the tall, brawny figure in front of me attached to an innocent child-like face that looked at me with adulation.

"You look amazing," he breathed, his eyes clearly worshipping me as I approached him.

Though I had always been aware of my beauty, Emmett's acknowledgement of my looks humbled me. "Thank you," I whispered, knowing my cheeks would have burned a fiery red if they could. "So do you."

"Thank you, Miss Rosalie," he chuckled, straightening out his tie. "Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm.

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully at the sound of my name being addressed formally, but I knew it was all in good fun. I took his hand proudly, stepping out into the garage with him. "Where are we going?" I asked, keen on knowing his plans.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, opening the passenger side door of the Bentley for me.

Apparently, he had received permission to use Carlisle's car, but only drove it through a cleared road in the forest far enough to a nearby glen. The head-lights lit on a blanket with what I would imagine being a vampire's picnic, lit with candles and surrounded with roses. I was shocked as I saw Edward standing there, holding down two elk. As Emmett put the car into park, Edward snapped their necks. I laughed, realizing his purpose was there to keep the "food"… fresh.

Turning to me as he pulled the keys out of the ignition, Emmett smiled. I realized the purpose of the car: its radio. He found a nice music station as I sat and watched him before stepping out. I began to get out of the car, but he insisted that I wait so that he could be chivalrous and open the door for me.

Taking my arm once again, he walked me towards Edward, who silently gave us a nod of his head before melting into the forest and heading back towards the house.

"Dinner is served," Emmett muttered with a cheeky grin. I was amazed at his creativity. Within his own limitations, he was able to prepare a wonderful evening.

"Emmett this is…," I was rendered speechless. I wasn't sure how to react.

"I know," he said, turning to the picnic he had made for us. "Well, I had a bit of help, obviously. Carlisle lent me the car, Esme helped me set up the site, and Edward hunted for us."

We watched each other from the corner of our eyes as we silently drained the elk. I had looked to discard them but he stopped me, insisting that he would do it later.

"Come here," he said, holding both hands out. He took me into an embrace as I walked over to him, cocooning me into his arms. Music played softly in the background, and our silence only brought the song more to our attention.

I recognized that it was a wonderful ballad sung by Ben Selvin, called "I Only Have Eyes for You." The song was about two years old, but I happened to love it.

My arm was up around his shoulder with my hand resting on the base of his neck. He had one hand on the small of my back, the other holding my hand up. Using gentle force, he pressed me up against him, and I leaned my cheek into his neck.

"Are the stars… out to night," he mumbled softly into my ear, well in tune with the song. "I don't know if it's cloudy … or bright."

"Did anyone ever tell you, you have a great singing voice?" I asked him. I hated to interrupt his serenade, but I had to ask him.

"No, not ever," he laughed.

"Really?"

"Well, here's a secret. I don't sing around anyone. Anyone… but _you_," he said, suddenly pulling away to look at my face. "So I'd appreciate it if you kept this between you and me."

"Your secret's safe with me," I replied under my breath, laying my head back on to his chest.

"The moon… may be high," he began to sing again.

"You are here… and so am I," he sang as he spun me again. "Maybe millions of people… go by," - catching me from my spin; he pressed me against him again - "but they all disappear… from view."

"And I only have eyes… for… you." By then the swaying had ended between us, his hands gently gripping either side of my face.

I was completely carried away by the moment— an amazing, romantic moment that was all of his doing. I wasn't sure if it was the candlelight or the scent of the beautiful roses, or the dancing and singing. I wasn't sure if it was because this night was just so beautiful, or if it was just how everything had panned out to lead us to this very night since the day I had found him mauled by the bear. But I did know that all of this—every little bit of this happiness, this night—was all due to him. "I love you," I breathed, without another thought in my head.

I watched as a smile stretched across his face, but his eyes seemed to be in shock. "I love you, too, Rosalie," he said, his voice with conviction and a hint of surprise.

My eyes could have popped out of my head, as I realized that we had never said it before. Suddenly, I was unreasonably upset as it dawned on me that I was the first to say it. All this time I held steadfast that he would always be the first to initiate anything, and that I'd be the one to respond, if I so chose. I averted my eyes from him as I processed that I failed in my plan.

"Rosalie?" he asked.

I said nothing, my eyes searching the ground seeing nothing as my train of thought could only focus on my failure. Had this been the first time anyone spoke of love? Was I really the one who broke it? Surely we did love each other, but I'd always been cognizant of keeping to my pattern, my stubborn goal of letting him take the initiative. Had I failed my own wish?

"Oh, I see," he said, understanding seeping into his voice. "You're upset. I wasn't the one who said it first, and you wish I was."

How did he know me so well? "That's not it," I answered, but I knew how my face looked to him now: guilty as charged.

"Baby, even if I hadn't said it out loud yet, I've said it every day in other ways." He pressed his lips onto mine before pulling away to touch his forehead to mine. "It really doesn't matter, okay, because I have always loved you."

Warmth crashed through me at this moment, and all of the sunlight he'd ever brought my way shined down on me right then. I thought critically about this. It was true. He was the first to tell me how he felt, and even though he never uttered the actual words, it was implied with every word he spoke that first day we spent together. Every emotion he had entailed to me in those long hours of revealing discussion let me know how much he loved me. "Say it again," I whispered. "Tell me again."

He looked at me, his full lips stretching into an alluring smile. "I love you," he declared, every word slow and concise. "I love you so much."

"Again," I demanded under my breath, my mouth twitching into a smile as I heard him chuckle.

His face straightened into a serious expression, his hands trailing up my shoulders and neck to my face. He turned my head up with his fingertips for me to face him. "Rosalie Hale, I love you," he sighed. "With all I am, I love you."

I smiled again, shutting my eyes and letting him find my lips, taking us into a passionate kiss.

He pressed his lips onto mine with a newfound fervor. Nipping with his wet mouth down on my chin and following a trail down to my neck, he began to work his way down with wet, passionate open kisses to my chest.

I unbuttoned his shirt in preternatural speed, slipping my hands underneath it to feel his broad, muscular back. My palms slowly grazed his bands of muscles, and it was like I was feeling a relief map of rugged terrain.

He responded by pulling a strap of my gown off of my shoulder, needing the gentle weight of my bosom into his hand. Instinctively, I arched my chest into his palm, and his mouth reacted by grazing the skin of my shoulder. Pulling the other strap off as well, the slick satin of my dress fell, pooling at my ankles. He had me step out of my gown, unbuckling his own belt and letting his pants drop to his own ankles before kicking them off. Walking me over to the blanket, he guided us both down to our knees. Gently palming my breasts, he took one up to his face, leaning his head to gain access to my nipple. His mouth closed over onto it sucking on the taut peak gently.

I gasped as I dug my nails into his flesh, and he moaned in response. He removed my brassiere in milliseconds, tossing it aside carefully, making sure he didn't aim at the candles. Instantly, his mouth and hands found my breasts again. The sensation was amazing, his fingers slowly rolling one nipple while his mouth sucked the other. I was definitely in heaven.

I let my hands travel down his abdominal muscles, tracing the "v" shaped indentation where his pelvis began, dusting my palm and fingers down to his stiff, throbbing erection. I positioned myself to his right, stroking his shaft with both hands as he kissed me passionately, delving his tongue into my mouth. He nipped and sucked on my bottom lips. His actions told me that he was hungry; seeming to want to be pleased, and worshipped with my hands.

I had the selfless desire to take care of him all the time now, but tonight was just so perfect, that I wanted to do more for him. I wanted to attempt to do something for him that he had begun to do for my graduation. "Emmett, let me pleasure you," I whispered against his saccharine mouth.

"You don't have to ask me anymore," he chuckled.

"I mean… with … my,"—I swallowed loudly—"mouth."

He blinked several times quickly, his brows raised in a mixture of shock and excited delight. I felt his member grow possibly harder against my hand. "I—are you sure? I can't make you—I don't even want to make you do anything you don't—I mean I want it but—I just couldn't…"

He was stuttering, sitting back from his kneeling position, his legs bent beneath him. I could tell he wanted to say yes, but there was also guilt there in his eyes. "I want to do this," I assured him. I was apprehensive as I lay down on my stomach by his side, shakily positioning my face near his groin.

He watched me eagerly. "You really don't need to do this," he said, his voice with concern, but the way it trembled told me he wanted it. The way his lip trembled told me he needed to feel my mouth on him, even if he couldn't admit it.

I brought him to my mouth slowly. I gulped, but I went on to please him.

It was mere moments later. Helping me clean it off with a rag he found in the Bentley, he helped me get nestled into the blankets with him. He had pulled his cotton shorts back on, and I was still in my camisole and tap pants. The candles surrounding us flickered, and the roses between them just made this night a dream. It was a perfect time… for what I was contemplating. However, in my nervousness, I ended up stalling.

We lay together for an hour as we gazed up at the stars. We chatted about his family—or what memories he could still see in his mind— stories about his Nana, his father, and his brother, Elliott. His human memories were fading faster now as he acclimated himself to this life, as did most vampires. I was only able to hold onto my own memories because of my stubborn will.

I realized that I loved talks like these we had. They were just as special as our physical relationship. A moment of silence passed and I smiled as I turned to him.

He cleared his throat abruptly, his face straightening to a serious expression. "So… I noticed you haven't gone to Rochester in a while."

My smile disappeared automatically and I averted my eyes from him. Feeling him watching me, I remained quiet for a moment before he spoke up again.

"I… thought that you enjoyed watching your family?" He knew this about me — my desperate attempts to hold onto my human life. He was smart enough to conclude that my visits to New York was for that reason; that it was hard for me to let go, difficult for me to move on. He knew how much I would rather have been in my grave than a vampire.

I had not, however, let him know why I decided not to go and see them. I didn't speak of my brother and Janice King at all. I bit my lip, turning to meet his gaze. "They've… chosen a path that I don't care to watch them follow," I answered simply. I really didn't care to get into it.

"I have a confession to make," he breathed, studying me carefully.

"What is it?" I asked, my brow arching as I looked at his face.

The candlelight flickered across his handsome features, his face a look of caution as he began to speak. "I overheard Edward talking to Esme one time… about your parents… about your brother."

I sighed, becoming rigid under him. I turned my head away again.

Still watching me, he spoke again. "Was there any reason for them—before the incident happened with your fiancé—that would lead them to believe he'd do that to you?"

I stared unseeingly at a candle on my left. I shook my head slowly to answer him, but found no words to say. The truth was there was no way of knowing what an absolute terror Royce was. Our families didn't know each other all that well before the engagement; only that my father worked for his, and they were royalty in our town.

"Well then, can you really blame them for wanting what they thought would be a good future for you? I can't imagine they'd want you with him if they knew he'd hurt you. I don't think anyone would wish that upon their child."

I closed my eyes. I knew he made sense, and his deep voice was soft and soothing to me. Unfortunately, it wasn't something I wanted to talk about—not tonight at least. "Emmett, please—"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I don't mean to intrude. It's just… life is short."

I turned to him immediately, ready to correct him but he cut me off.

"Let me rephrase that. _Human_ life is short, and eternity is a long time to hold a grudge—especially one that isn't completely… warranted." He gulped, studying my expression carefully as my face turned into a scowl automatically. He was not a stranger to my temper. "I just don't want you to carry one for people who loved you. People make mistakes, and nobody's perfect. They're your parents, baby."

I pursed my lips, fighting myself from gritting my teeth and snarling at him. It wasn't something I wanted to discuss. "You're right," I sighed quickly.

"I am?" he asked, his face lightening up. "You agree with me?"

"Yes, you're absolutely right," I said before turning away from him and onto my side. "You're being intrusive."

I heard him sigh in defeat, and I felt guilty for shutting him out about it, but it wasn't something I was ready to let go of.

He hugged me from behind, his breath on my neck as he dusted his lips across my skin. I shivered in response, but that only prompted him to move up to my ear and nibble on my earlobe. "Please don't turn away from me, babe. I'm sorry."

Slowly I rolled to lie on my back, returning my eyes to the stars as he rolled back to watch me eagerly. He pressed his lips to my forehead and then combed his fingers through my hair for a long moment. I was happy he was beginning to know the pattern of my temper, thoroughly impressed with his patience for me.

I refocused once again on my original thought about this night, realizing he'd distracted me with his questions about my family. I looked past his face and watched the navy sky nervously, realizing that I was about to make a proposal for sex tonight and give myself to him. He of course lay content, smiling down at me like a man in love.

I was a fool in love as well, but one decidedly more nervous and ill at ease than he appeared to be. Letting out a shaky breath, I began to speak about my request. "I think we should… I think that I'm ready to…" I said. I was stuttering—so nervous.

"Rosalie, are you okay? What are you trying to say?"

My eyes switched to him. I took another breath, and without another thought I blurted, "I want you to make love to me, Emmett."

His eyes widened, and would have popped out of their socket if it was possible. His head slowly turned towards me. "I… you think _what_?"

"I believe we've… waited long enough. And I just… I can't wait any longer, Emmett. I want to do this. I want to try this with you."

I heard a loud gulp from his throat as he looked at me. "Rosalie, dear, we don't need to rush," he said, but looking down at his jockey shorts, I could see his erection had returned.

I flipped him over, rolling onto him, and pressing the weight of my eager body onto his with wanton fever. "_Please,_ Emmett" I whispered against his skin, beginning to trail kisses from his chin down his neck.

He hissed when my lips kissed the hollow of his collarbone. I felt his warm arms encase me, his fingers digging into my back. "You are a positively irresistible broad." I squealed as he flipped me over so that I was on my back, making an effort to awkwardly pull his Jockey shorts off.

In my haste, I scrambled to get my tap pants off of myself, squirming and bending my legs beneath him. Suddenly I felt my knee hit an unknown barrier and I looked down as I heard Emmett gasp.

"Ah, shit," he moaned. "Argh!"

"Emmett, did I hurt you?" I asked, and when I realized what my knee hit, I winced.

He was hunched over, his hand directly on his crotch.

I had castrated him with my knee.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!"

Hunched over, he moaned again.

"Are you all right? Oh, Emmett, honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I'm fine," he gasped, his voice strained. He flipped over onto his back beside me, his is eyes squeezing shut. Clearly he was in denial. He wasn't fine.

"Emmett, really, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry. I'm just nervous. I've got the jitters."

"It's okay," he huffed, panting in obvious pain.

"We can try again," I offered, apologetically.

"I'm sorry baby. Even when this heals, the mood's kind of… gone." He remained laying down, pulling up the second blanket over himself, inviting me to lie beside him.

Disappointed, I reluctantly drew myself into his arms. "But you'll heal in a few minutes," I pressed on. "We can do this."

"Rosalie, I don't think we should. Isn't it customary for ladies of society to wait till their wedding night or something? I want to keep you an honest woman, if I can… and your previous experiences, I wouldn't want to force you into anything you don't want to do." He sighed. "I think we should hold off on… the intimacy for a while."

"But I don't care about human society. Why wait? We're vampires. Why do we need to follow their standards?"

"I just… I really don't want to rush you into any of it, Rosalie, really."

"Is this about how I injured you? I really didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't, and that's not what this is about. I just want to honor my devotion to your well being. I want to keep you an honest woman, and not to mention I want to respect what you've been through. You've requested me to wait, and I never want to back down on that promise. I'll wait for you forever, Rosalie. I said that before, and I'll say that again."

"But this night is so perfect," I insisted.

"Baby, I made this night perfect, for it to be what it is—a special opportunity to spend time with you. We don't need to have sex to make a night perfect."

I stuck my lip out in a pout. "But Emmett…"

He kissed my forehead and combed his fingers through my hair. "Let's just lay here and enjoy the night together, okay?"

I nodded reluctantly, my hopes shot down. My ego was slightly bruised as well, but I tried my best to think rationally; he wouldn't resist my offer without good reason.

It was a good nine days before he permitted himself to be alone with me again. I knew this was because of his concern for me and my issues with intimacy and my past experiences, but it was getting beyond ridiculous.

Today, however, I was pleased to see he carried a knapsack with him; one that I believed contained a blanket. I ran with him and followed him, staring the delicious pair of firm orbs of his backside in his trousers. He truly had a wonderful rear. We had been running for quite a while, finding several large elk to feed on when we were well into the northern tip of Kentucky. Barely through draining the elk in my hand I couldn't help it anymore. I wanted to clutch on his rear as I felt his weight on me. I could almost taste his lips in my mouth at the thought, once we had both drained the elk's bodies I couldn't wait any longer. Immediately I hopped right onto him, not even bothering to discard of the bodies of our prey.

Happily, he obliged, swinging me around before letting us fall onto the grass. Raising a finger at me to signal to wait a minute, he took one small second to dip his hand into the bag and lay out the blankets before scooping me up to place me on them.

We knelt before one another as we kissed each other, our hands running through each other's hair, exploring our perfect physique with each other's all-too-eager touch. My blouse and brassiere didn't last on my body for more than two minutes, the same for his vest and shirt, both of us tearing our clothes off of one another. My hands gripped his face as I kissed him ferociously, desperately.

He hissed in return, his desperation to touch me just as fierce as my own. I clutched at him as he delved his tongue in my mouth, and I heard him growl as I nipped sharply at his lower lip. I needed more of him. I closed the mere inches separating our bodies, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as we fell on our sides while our tongues and hands continued a passionate exploration of our mouths, our necks. After nine days, I missed touching him like I couldn't believe was possible.

I yelped, startled, as he suddenly flipped me onto my back, nestling his muscular frame between my quivering thighs. His sex, full and heavy and hard, pressed eagerly against my center through the satin of my panties.

He began his normal routine, giving me pleasure with his hands. I sat up after recovering from my orgasm, smiling mischievously at his anticipatory gaze at me. It was my turn to give him what he had just given me, gliding my hands between his thighs. After a while, I could tell her was nearing his climax. But I realized I didn't want him to finish this way. Somehow, this time, I wasn't satisfied. I wanted more. I needed more.

"Emmett, I want you," I murmured .

"You have me," he panted with a smile that was more akin to a grimace, managing to speak through his moans of enjoyment. His expression was so sweet, but he clearly did not understand what I was alluding to.

"No, Emmett, I want you… _now,_" I gulped before answering again, slowing my hand down to almost a stop. "I want you… _inside_ of me."

This time I heard him gulp as comprehension dawned, and I could see a moment of hesitation.

Without stopping the motion of my hands, I got up from my seated position onto my knees to press my naked bosoms against his rock hard chest. "Please," I whispered, stroking him slowly with one hand, grabbing his scrotum and squeezing it gently with my other. His face silently clouded with lust again.

_There's my boy,_ I thought to myself. I knew I didn't need too much persuasion. He wasn't human, but he was, after all, a man.

Wrapping his strong arms around my ribcage, just beneath my arms, he gently lowered me onto the blanket. He looked into my eyes, as if coming to a halt, and I had an idea he was thinking of the last time we'd attempted this. His large hands trembled slightly as he wrapped his fingers around the waistband of my panties, gliding them sensually down my legs. He smirked as he did so, and I couldn't help but let out a nervous giggle. "Just trying to prevent accidents," he whispered.

He hovered above me after eagerly pulling his pants and Jockey shorts off, kicking them aside. His actions were just short of begging for sex, his eagerness palpable within his movements. He positioned himself between my open legs. "Remember, I've never done this before either," he said his voice shaky. He was nervous, and adorably so.

His words made me feel worlds better as I knew that the butterflies in my stomach had grown exponentially. We were both blindly stepping into this together.

I felt the warmth of his thick head nudging my soaking-wet entrance. "You're sure about this, babe?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

I nodded wordlessly, squirming myself against him, encourage him. I suddenly felt too shy to speak. I wasn't sure what normal protocol was for lovemaking.

He nodded to confirm that he read my expression, and hearing a gulp from both of us, he then slowly, excruciatingly pushed himself inside my body.

A combination of pain and pleasure shot through me as he buried himself inside, and my body stiffened of its own accord. We cried out simultaneously at the feeling of being connected in the most intimate manner possible; Emmett's cry undoubtedly made out of ecstasy; while mine... well, I was so overwhelmed with sensation that I was unsure whether the pain or the pleasure of the experience had made me mewl.

"Are you all right?" he gasped, his voice strained as he hovered over me on trembling arms.

I nodded quickly. "Slowly," I instructed.

It was nice, but it didn't last as long as I would've thought. He couldnt handle it, and apologized profusely.

Though I hadn't climaxed, the thought of him releasing into my body was enticing. I wondered silently if this was how it was supposed to be; over so quickly. Maybe that was the reason for petting and foreplay.

"I'm so sorry," he said as his trembling subsided. He sat up next to me, punching the earth with his fist in obvious frustration. He brought his hands to his head, shaking it in obvious shame.

"Emmett, no," I shook my head. "What would you be sorry for?"

"I wasn't trying to… so quickly... Gah!" he exclaimed in obvious frustration. "Did you even… you didn't, did you?"

"I…" I wasn't sure if I should placate his ego, or be honest.

He frowned. "Okay, that was a no."

"No, that wasn't. You didn't give me a chance to answer."

His look of frustration suddenly disappeared from his features. Scrambling to his knees he maneuvered his way down my body.

"What are you doing?"

"Making up for it and giving you pleasure," he responded, casually.

Dipping his face between my thighs, I shivered.

After coming down form my climax, I collapsed. A buzzing sound rang in my ears as I became slightly delirious from my orgasm. I was a massive quivering pile next to him.

Pulling the second blanket up to cover us both, he spooned me as he encased me in his arms and legs, pulling my back up against him. Burying his face into my hair, I heard him breathe in its scent. "I am a master at pleasing you," he whispered confidently.

I giggled in response. "You are, indeed."

We cuddled for a while, enjoying each other's company. The white glow of the moonlight against the cerulean blue of the night cast dramatic shadows across our faces and bodies. It was almost too romantic. We giggled as we tickled each other, engaging in intimate conversation. It was a beautiful night, and nothing could ruin it.

There was a very soft breeze blowing that summer evening, but it was warm and beautiful. The winds changed, and I watched as Emmett's nostrils flared for a second, causing him to get up.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Dessert," he smiled, grabbing for his shorts and his trousers.

I realized there was a faint scent of carnivore in the air. "Ah, I see." I began to get up, automatically assuming he wanted me to follow.

"No, no. Stay where you are," he said, holding his hand out as he slipped his feet into his boots. "I'll bring it back to us."

"But Emmett…"

"Don't worry about it. It's your night to sit back and relax. I'll get us dessert." Then he was gone, melting into the forest; shirtless. I had to admit I rather enjoyed watching him run without a shirt.

I looked to my right, realize he had left his pocket watch, which read 10:17 pm. I sighed. I shouldn't expect any less from him, a newborn, growing in control but still blood-crazed. I decided to lie back down, tucking myself into the covers and watching the evening sky.

It had been a long while as I gazed up at the stars, daydreaming about what it would be like my first time making love to Emmett, when I realized he wasn't back yet. I looked to my left, where Emmett had left his pocket watch. The hands said 11:28pm, which meant he had been gone for over an hour. I began to worry. Hunting shouldn't take him longer than fifteen minutes—that scent of carnivore being no more than seven miles away. Hastily I slipped on my dress and shoes, running in the direction he went to follow his scent.

His trail made sense, following the animal's scent until a certain part of the forest, where it seemed he veered completely off course.

What could have made him change direction?

As I followed his trail, I realized I was stepping across the state line and into Ohio. I could see a clearing past the thicket of trees, and I gasped, realizing that there was a wheat farm with a barn just ahead.

_No!_ I thought in my head. _It can't be._

I had no time for another thought when a decidedly light but tantalizing scent hit me like a freight train, causing my muscles to tense and my throat enflame with thirst.

Fresh human blood.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for swinging by and reading!

Don't forget to vote **V&P for The Alice Award (Best Pre-twilight) in the Sparkle Awards!**** Visit:**** thesparkleawards(dot)webs(dot)com (check my profile for the direct link)**

Voting for the RazzleDazzle Awards has been postponed. If you'd like more updated info on when to vote for **V&P for Best PreTwilight in the RazzleDazzles**, please visit: razzledazzleawards(dot)webs(dot)com

Voting for the Golden Chocolate Awards begins **Monday, 10/26.** To vote for **V&P for Best Rosalie and Emmett in the Golden Chocolates,** please visit: goldenchocolateawards(dot)webs(dot)com

**Writing Update:**

I will be back with V&P's Chapter 22 (called Broken Walls) in about two weeks.

Also, Chapter 2 of Strength and Remorse will follow the release of V&P's Chapter 22.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

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For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	24. Chapter 23: Broken Walls

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**_To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version._**

**Chapter specific warning: A lemon exists in this chapter. You've been warned.**

To my beta for this chapter: cfmom, who kicks other beta's asses with her kickassedness.

To my Mikey, who is my rock, and the best, most supportive boyfriend ever. I love you!

To my readers, I apologize sincerely for getting this chapter out so slowly. I made this chapter longer than usual to make up for it though. Also, I did, however, manage to write two new one shots stories in the time between. The Cable Guy, my UNFmett contest entry, and And Then There Were Three, my first entry into Twilight After Dark, are now available on twilighted. The links are in the endnotes.

Also, thanks to those who have voted for V&P in the Sparkle Awards, and The Golden Chocolates, as well as those who voted for "The Cable Guy" in the UNFmett Contest! Your vote is greatly appreciated. Congrats to the future winners and all who were nominated.

**Playlist:**

T-Pain – Get Drunk

Kenny Chesney – Being Drunk Is a Lot like Loving You

Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable

Tone Loc – Wild Thing

Ginuwine - Pony

H-Town – Knockin the Boots

Drake – The Best I Ever Had

* * *

**Chapter 22: Broken Walls**

I swerved to miss the last set of trees as I began to pick up my pace again. I tried to hold control over my bloodlust, my nails digging into my flesh as I held clenched fists together so tightly. The onslaught of such a burning thirst in my throat was almost more than I could bare, but knowing that Emmett must've slipped I had to stay strong for him.

I stepped into the field of wheat, moving like a sea of waves in the late night breeze as I slowed my approach and headed towards the weathered barn.

Peeking in from the window, I saw the body of a man sprawled across the floor, sitting in a pool of dark brown tinted liquid, with a bottle of whiskey tipped over on the table above him. Beside the bottle was an ashtray with a cigar, the white tint of wavy smoke still rising from its tip.

With a gust of wind, Emmett appeared beside me. His normally pale mouth was now lined with blood on the rim of his lips.

"Emmett," I seethed under my breath.

"We have to go,_ now_," he whispered urgently, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the barn. "Hurry, before someone sees us." I didn't miss how his teeth and the inside of his mouth were both lightly coated with the man's blood. Flames engulfed my throat at the sight. I tried to concentrate on Emmett's words instead. My concern for him was hopefully enough to distract me from my own thirst and the great temptation that fresh blood presented.

"We can't just leave him. We need to dispose of the body," I reminded Emmett. "Destroy all evidence, remember?"

He nodded once before leaving my side and appearing in the barn, lifting the man effortlessly off the floor and throwing the frail body over his shoulder. Grabbing a shovel with his free hand, he zoomed out.

He was standing in front of me before I could count to twenty. "Hold this," he instructed, handing the shovel to me.

I took it, my eyes conveying my confusion.

"Let's go," he whispered, frantically, and I had no choice but to follow him as he began to run. As we made our escape, his free hand grabbed hold of mine while his other arm kept the corpse firmly in place on his shoulder.

I ran with him silently, his grip strong on my hand as he led me back in the direction from which we came. I watched him as he ran. He had a determined, yet sated, look on his face.

About fifty miles from the farm where Emmett had stumbled upon the man, he dropped the corpse to the ground. Extending one hand out to me, he gestured for me to give him the shovel. He quickly began to dig a hole into the ground, shoving the fresh soil aside as I watched him silently.

I observed him carefully as he dug into the ground. I realized that this must've been how he disposed of the corpses in his time away from us.

Feeling my eyes on him, he stopped. Looking at me, he leaned on a tree, pressing the full weight of his back against its trunk.

"You slipped," I breathed, still watching him carefully.

"I'd say so," he chuckled morbidly, still looking to his side. His expression was grim, and the chuckle was out of place. I was confused by his reaction. He was so remorseful about killing someone the last time. His eyes, with his tangerine irises now lined in a deep crimson as it began to fill with human blood, switched to look at me, no doubt reading my perplexed expression. His face turned serious. "I found a bobcat, but just as I was about to kill him, the wind changed, and then… it was over."

I stared at the body lying in the ground, a pang of guilt rocking through me, though not strong enough to waiver my lust for the blood that stained Emmett's lips at the moment. I decided to ask questions to distract myself. "So you caught the smell of a human and just decided to feed on him?"

"No, baby, it was more than that." He looked away from me, his gaze turning to the pale corpse. "I observed him for a while, and it wasn't just his blood that attracted me to him… he was _drinking_." He let out another breathy chortle, shaking his head. "In fact, he was completely _bent—_totally splifficated and seeing pink elephants. I wanted to see if his alcohol-laced blood would have any effect on me," he grinned sheepishly. "He was drinking whiskey, my favorite brand of moonshine, no less." He gave a shameful laugh once again. "I couldn't help myself. I miss feeling plastered. I was hoping I could at least get a bit lit."

As he spoke, I watched the tantalizing crimson tint of his mouth. My throat singed with thirsty curiosity again. I gulped. "So did anything come from your efforts?" I stepped towards him, studying his demeanor. "Are you affected by the alcohol at all?" Maybe that was why he was laughing. It would explain how easily he took to killing this man.

He frowned. "Not even." Letting out a disappointed sigh, he then admitted, "I'd give anything to be a sheet in the wind again… at the very least."

"I see," I said quietly, taking another step in his direction. I'd never been drunk in my life, but I always figured Emmett to have dabbled in alcohol in his human life quite frequently. I wasn't surprised that he missed it.

He lifted his head to look at me again. "I'm sure Carlisle won't be so happy I conducted an experiment with an innocent life tonight… only to have it end in vain." His face held a slight bit of concern, but he seemed more at peace about this kill than he did about the hobo a few weeks ago.

Finally stopping just inches away from him I placed my hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly, still silent. I wasn't sure what words to offer him.

Still watching me, he sighed again. "I'm having trouble with the rules, Rosalie."

"I know," I nodded, "but you'll get there." I leaned up to hold him to me in an effort to comfort him.

I felt his left arm lift slowly to place his hand in the middle of my back in response, but his gaze was aimed past me; his eyes far away. "I don't know how you can be so strong though. You're strong enough to resist them. They're so… appetizing. To find that will to resist all the time—I'm not sure if I can— you dig me? Combined with the fact that he had fresh moonshine pumping through his veins I…"

A small idea wrapped around my head as his voice trailed away. Abruptly I stood on the tips of my toes, leaning up to I crash my lips on his, only to have him respond automatically by accepting. I pushed my tongue into his mouth, trying to find the flavor of the man's blood on his scarlet stained teeth. Disappointedly, I was rewarded with no success. Aside from a tiny hint of the salty, potent flavor that may have been from blood, his mouth was predominantly the flavor of his venom sweetness—that cinnamon goodness that I'd always hungered for in other ways.

He pulled away suddenly, a smile hinting at his lips. "Hey, now," he breathed. "I think you need to get your own human. I've done finished mine."

We both couldn't help but laugh a bit at the joke, but the laughter faded quickly. Straightening up from leaning against the tree, he picked up the shovel. Feverishly, he began to deepen the whole in the ground.

"Well it appears I'm not as strong as you think," I admitted softly, watching him pierce more of the ground with the shovel.

"Maybe not, but you were able to carry me to Carlisle when you found me," he snorted, his arms pressing deep into the earth. "That had to be difficult, didn't it? Didn't it drive you nuts— the smell of my blood—my open wounds?"

My throat ignited with thirst at the memory of his human blood, and I nodded. "The easiest decision I've ever made, yet the hardest thing I've ever had to do." My mind flooded with images of that night, of how I fought with my thirst while holding onto my will to keep him alive long enough to get him back to Carlisle.

His eyebrows lifted up to his hairline. "Whoa. You must've been really determined to see me naked," he snickered.

"Very funny," I uttered wryly, smirking back at him, and wondered how he could keep such a sense of humor at a time like this.

The pit must've been close to eight feet when he was finished. Leaping out of the ditch, he landed softly on the balls of his feet on the ground near me, dropping the shovel next to my feet. Taking a couple large strides over to the body, he rolled it into the pit, and picked up the shovel again, throwing dirt on top of the body.

Using his supernatural speed, he quickly covered the body and then began running circles around the surrounding forest floor, letting twigs, leaves, and other forest debris fall onto the freshly dug up ground. His footsteps were heavy, packing the dirt firmly together. It was rather a smart thing to do as it now looked nothing like a burial site.

He looked up at me as he dusted his hands. "It had to be tough on you," he continued. "All of that blood on me, I can't even imagine it."

I nodded in response. "I couldn't be the one to change you myself. I was too scared I wouldn't be able to stop… too scared I'd kill you. That's why I had to find the strength in me to carry you to Carlisle who's been the only one successful at turning people without succumbing to the bloodlust."

He winced at the sound of Carlisle name this time. "I guess we should go," he said. "Time for me to face the music. I doubt I could hide this from him. I'm sure the evidence is right here." He pointed to his eyes with two of his fingers.

I gave him a grim smile in agreement, his normally citrine colored irises filling quickly and almost completely with the farmer's scarlet blood as it flooded through his system.

As we ran side by side I was overcome with a torrent of emotions running through me: passion, love, lust, thirst, concern, and lastly, guilt. It had only been a few hours ago that we had made love the first time. It was abrupt, and very short, but it was also tender and passionate. It was special because it was with Emmett. However, all of those moments had now been overshadowed by Emmett's slip. I frowned that such an important night could be ruined. I fought with my inner selfishness not to outwardly throw a tantrum about it, but my patience was wavering.

Remorse swept over me as we approached the house. Facing Carlisle was not something I wanted to do. I felt the shame—the culpability for not watching him more carefully. Sure, he was gaining control over his irrational behavior, but it was still his first year. I should almost expect him to slip.

Edward met us at the doorstep, his face in worried concern as our thoughts gave away as to what we had just experienced. He winced slightly before looking tentatively at Emmett. He exchanged glances with him for a long moment. His eyes flickered to me with a look of disappointment before he stepped aside.

"It's not her fault," Emmett insisted. "Don't blame her for any of it."

"I didn't say anything," Edward replied coolly, his eyes returning to Emmett.

I was almost positive he'd already mentioned something to Carlisle, but as we walked into the house, we realized he had no idea about what had happened. He was standing behind Esme in the kitchen, whispering in her ear as she giggled over a set of blue prints.

As we walked in, Edward followed. I wasn't sure if it was the expression on my face, or one of the boys behind me, but something alerted Carlisle that something was wrong as he quit his whispering to look up at us. His face fell slightly, his golden eyes questioning. "What is it?" he asked.

But as soon as he asked, he looked at Emmett, and nothing further needed to be said. Emmett's lips still held a slight orange-red hue, there was the human's scent all over his body, and his eyes were now a bright bloody shade—close to that of a glass of merlot. I saw a bit of hesitation cross Carlisle's features as I was sure he also smelled sex on Emmett just as obvious as the human blood. There was really nothing that needed to be said to explain our situation; Carlisle could see and smell it all.

Esme's eyes—frantic and anxious—shifted between Emmett, Edward and I. However, my attention was directed mostly at Carlisle.

My stomach churned as I saw the corners of my adopted father's lips curl down into a frown, his face falling further in dissatisfaction as he realized what Emmett had done. "Emmett," he sighed, his shoulders lifting and falling through his breath. "Who was it? Someone from town?"

"No, Carlisle, it was out in Ohio, hundreds of miles from here, thank god," I answered quickly.

He pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows at me. Apparently, thanking God, or anyone for that matter, wasn't on his list of reactions for such a piece of news.

Emmett glanced at me warily before looking back at Carlisle, hesitant to speak.

"It was my fault," I interjected immediately. "I should've been keeping a more watchful eye on him. I apol—"

"Rose," Emmett hissed, his teeth clenched together.

"What?" I asked, turning up to his face towering above me. "It's true, Emmett. If I was with you, if I was at your side…"

"I would've knocked you out of my way," Emmett finished, his eyes widening at me, trying to tell me to give up.

"Sit down, son," Carlisle said, motioning him to the dining table. "Tell me everything, and start from the beginning." He turned to me with a saddened expression. "I would like for you to sit here as well. In fact, it may be best if we all have a family discussion."

Emmett took a deep breath before telling his story to the family: the bobcat, his intentions to just bring it back for dessert. He explained the power of the scent of this man's blood, potent with the distinct aura of whiskey. He spoke of how he had observed this man for nearly an hour, mumbling about smacking his wife earlier in drunken confusion before getting thrown out and stuck in his barn, trying to drink his woes away. The draw of this man, already lousy with moonshine, coupled with the fact that Emmett recognized the bottle to be of his favorite brand was an irresistible combination for him. He couldn't turn it down. Once he had made the conscious decision that this would be of no consequence to the family—considering how far we were from our own town—he went in for the kill.

He sat shamefaced as he explained himself, squirming a bit in his seat. However, I could tell a distinct difference in his acceptance of this lapse of control—one that wasn't in existence when he had set off to kill Thomas and ended up draining the drifting hobo. It was still very clear, however, that he hated to disappoint Carlisle.

Emmett refused to let me speak, trying to take full responsibility for his actions. He wanted the family to know he reacted on his own weakness and curiosity, conducting an experiment to see if he could get drunk off of the farmer's blood. Carlisle's face did not change in his displeasure, but I caught Edward's face twitch in amusement at the revelation of Emmett's reasoning as he struggled to keep it serene.

"Well, obviously we can't allow you two go hunting alone for quite some time again. You will be in constant supervision of Edward and I when outside of the house, you understand? We will also have to exercise caution and survey the territories we wish to have you hunt in for humans before having you hunt in those territories."

Emmett winced, rather displeased himself at Carlisle's instruction. I couldn't imagine how frustrating it would feel to have to regress in hunting protocol.

"I know that it's discouraging, but your momentary lack of discipline concerns me, and we have to keep the family's best interests in mind." I watched as Emmett let out a sigh in resignation at Carlisle's words, too faint to be disrespectful, but nothing he could hold back. Gauging his reaction, Carlisle amended by adding, "You're not in trouble, Emmett. I'm simply setting some guidelines closer to home. Also, considering that this happened with Rosalie, I'm thinking that we may need to return to having you hunt with either Edward or me as well, rather than the two of you alone."

My mouth dropped, realizing he didn't want us to hunt alone. I could feel my face turn sour.

Carlisle turned to me as he watched my expression shift. "Rosalie, I need for you to understand that a newborn cannot be left alone. You should know this. You went through this yourself. You, however, had amazing control over your thirst, unlike Emmett. You should already be familiar with Emmett's struggle to adhere to our lifestyle. And though I am happy for the both of you, I must say that your affection has kept you distracted from watching after Emmett like you should."

I sighed, slumping in my chair. Though I hated it, he had a point. "Yes, Carlisle." I hung my head in shame. "I'm so sorry. It won't happen again."

At that point I felt Esme's eyes on me with curiosity, and I fought to keep my eyes on Carlisle. I had a feeling that her scrutiny was more about the sex that she smelled on us rather than the human Emmett killed.

"Carlisle, it wasn't her fault," Emmett insisted. "Really."

"Either way, son, both of you are too distracted for your own good. Love is new and fresh between you, which is a beautiful thing, but you're a newborn. Therefore you need constant supervision and guidance. I cannot allow you outside of this house without me or Edward to accompany you. If you are to go hunting with Rosalie, one of us need to be with you."

Carlisle sighed, his topaz eyes switching between all of us. "Thankfully this happened too far for us to need to relocate immediately." He turned to Emmett again. "Son, it's your first year—your newborn year. We are all bound to slip in our first year, but I would love it if you would try harder to control your thirst, and possibly prevent a next time. I suppose now that your curiosity has been answered, you can keep your investigations and experiments relegated to only animals."

Emmett was nodding his head in agreement as Carlisle spoke. "Yes Carlisle, I can do that."

"Good," Carlisle answered, nodding his head gracefully in Emmett's direction.

"I'm sorry," Emmett breathed to him. "I don't mean to put any of us at risk. I just… have trouble… with the rules sometimes."

"I know, son, I know. You'll get past this some day, I'm sure," he encouraged, placing his hand on Emmett's from across the table.

The family had broken away from the discussion and into their own activities, and I went up to my bedroom to change out of my dress and into a new set of clothes. I opened the window, in need of some fresh air. I was saddened by the fact that I wouldn't be able to share a private moment with him for a while. I didn't know how we were going to have a physical relationship under this roof. As I sat at my vanity, brushing my hair, I felt a gust of wind and a light landing behind me.

"Emmett," I breathed, his burly figure a silhouette standing in front of my open window against the blue-tinted white aura of the moon. Immediately I stood up, throwing my arms around him.

"Rose," he sighed, returning my embrace. He took a deep breath into my hair as I kissed his neck. "I'm sorry," he murmured, pulling away to look at me in the eyes. "I ruined the night and I'm so terribly sorry. I didn't even apologize at first, and I'm a complete idiot for forgetting my head about it. I'm so sorry, baby."

I smiled, sighing as I heard his apology. He was my weakness, and his presence and words were soothing to me. He was the remedy for almost every issue I had in this life. I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his. "I know, baby. I know. It's all right."

"No it's not," he disagreed, still holding me as I pressed my body against his. "It was a special night tonight. I'm terribly sorry I ruined it with my damn thirst." He shook his head and sighed. "Just when I was gaining control of my temper, I realize that my thirst is another issue."

"You'll get past it, just like Carlisle said," I insisted, completely intoxicated by his warmth.

"I know, but our _first time_, Rose?" he seethed, lowering his voice in the possibility of someone overhearing him. "Could I royally mess up for us any more than that?"

I encased his face into my hands. "Em, sweetheart, its fine."

He sat me on my couch, kneeling before me and positioning himself between my knees to hug me again. "I should have stayed with you," he sighed. "Maybe got a second time out of it or something."

I pulled away to look at his face, a smirk playing at his lips. I gave him a light, playful swat on his shoulder. "You seriously have a one-track mind."

"Not true," he jokingly argued back, his merlot tinted eyes laughing as they stared back at me. "I don't _always_ think about that. I do think about blood, too."

My smile faded slightly, remembering what happened tonight with his last statement. "I do have a question for you, though," I said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"With.. what happened with the hobo… you seemed a bit more distraught by killing him; more distraught than killing this farmer. What made tonight different? Aside from… me being the one to push you to do it with my awful games."

I felt his hand chafe at my arm at the mention of my games. "Baby, an eternity is a long time to be regretful of thing's you've done in the past. I'd rather spend my forever moving forward. All I care about really is not being thrown out of the house by Carlisle—and not disappointing you. He's a really good man, and I admire him for what he's taught me… taught us all. I care most that he won't kick me out of this house. Then Esme—the mother I never had—how could you not love her? And Edward, well, he went on his own killing spree, but found the determination to come back and follow this lifestyle. And then there's you." He leaned in to kiss my cheek before puling back. "Your strength is also a model for me. And the fact that you stand by me after all that I do, my mistakes, my shortcomings, I really have nothing to complain about. Why cry over spilled milk?"

I smiled at him, leaning in to kiss his lips softly before he pulled back from me again.

He lifted a finger to my nose, swiping lightly it with the soft pad of his fingertip. "As long as I have you—my angel—by my side, I can't be remorseful about anything."

I smiled at his philosophy. "I wish I could be at peace with things like you are."

"You can be if you try, you know? I can help you."

My eyes drifted away from him, staring unseeingly at his shoulder. "Maybe," I nodded, but I was doubtful and my voice sounded glum. I felt his eyes on me, and I knew that he wasn't a stranger to my general philosophy of eternal vampire damnation. His hand came up to my chin just then turning my face to look at him and a smile stretched on his lips.

"I will," he promised. And then, he moved in to crash his lips into mine, pushing my lips apart with his. My lips against his with equal vigor, feeling his hands move up my back and into my hair, threading his fingers through my tresses. His tongue delved into my mouth, probing and exploring. The candy taste of his mouth was all that I'd always wanted, and immediately I was moistening my panties.

He pulled away suddenly, his hands switching to my shoulders and pulling me back.

I stood with my mouth still open, pained by the loss of our contact.

His nose was flaring, and his eyes were full of lust, but his brows were arched in stern resistance. "Damn you for being such a tomato," he seethed playfully through his teeth, earning a smile from me in response. "I should get back to my room," he whispered. "I don't think they'd appreciate it if we started something here. And after a certain point, I won't be able to stop."

I furrowed my brow, but nodded in understanding. I took my lower lip between my teeth as the residual desire for him still lurked within me at the thought of his inability to stop after a certain point. "Emmett," I breathed.

"We'll continue this later, okay?" he reassured me. He placed a chaste kiss on my lips and then turned his head upwards to press his lips against my forehead. "I love you," he whispered, and with another gust of wind he was gone.

I returned to my vanity, and went back to mindlessly brushing my hair. I was rather disappointed that I couldn't hunt with him alone for a while. I bit my lip as I reminisced about our first time, how—even in the short moment we shared together—I had felt so whole, so complete, as I was connected to him. I was happy to have someone I loved—who loved me just as much, if not more—that I could share such an act with.

I frowned that the one I shared such a moment could've been with my late fiancé, and realized it would have never compared. Nothing would compare to the sheer volume of love and comfort I had with Emmett.

I smiled then, realizing I was able to get over my own inner demons, getting over my human past, and moving on in this life, with my immortal other half. If I had to be sentenced to this life for all of eternity, I was happy to have Emmett beside me through it all.

It had only been a few days since the farmer incident. The days that followed the kill were a bit tense in the house, but everyone slowly relaxed with time.

Esme had a heart to heart with me the following morning, wanting to know if I was all right. The status of my virtue was clear to them when we returned that night, and Esme wanted to make sure that I was emotionally well. Though I couldn't help but love her for it, it was still quite awkward. I was respectful and listened, but I couldn't deny the relief I felt when she left my room.

Watching Emmett however, was another thing all together. His disappointment in himself over dissatisfying Carlisle had waned, and was replaced by a smug, giddy demeanor—one that I came to understand was about our shared sexual encounter. He was rather jovial, almost bouncy, as he took each step around the house. Edward couldn't be around him for too long, and I could only imagine what was running through Emmett's mind to chase Edward off so frequently. I did, however, have a good idea what it was, because he would steal a look at me now and then, with a suggestive arch in his brow. On numerous occasions, I'd catch him gaping at me blatantly, and it wasn't always aimed at my face, but rather at my chest or my rear. I enjoyed the attention of course, and I would think back to that evening, trying my best not to remember the travesty that followed.

With Emmett confined to the house, I couldn't find it in me to leave him for long periods of time. One afternoon in the middle of the week, I played the piano as Emmett sat at the living room table nearby. Carlisle was at the hospital, and Esme and Edward were spending quality time in the garden. There were many moments like these, where we just lounged around the house, in innocent company of each other.

I looked over at Emmett as he pondered over the novel in his hand—_Dracula_ by Bram Stoker. A snort came from him as he flipped the page. "They have it all wrong," he complained, lightheartedly. "I do love that Dracula gets several wives in this book, though. Too bad that's not true in real life."

"Right," I responded wryly before I narrowed my eyes. Grabbing a few peonies at lightening speed from the vase in front of me, chucked them at him from the arrangement that sat above the piano. With the dining table so near by the piano, it was an easy target.

He ducked from the approaching flowers quickly, chortling in response. His hand reached up, catching one of them in a flash. "I'm kidding, baby. You know that. Ain't no other dame for me in this world but you, doll." He handed me the pretty bloom, but I motioned him to place it on the piano.

"Mmhmm," I sighed. Rolling my eyes, I shook my head, scrunching my lips together to hide a laugh as I turned my eyes back to the piano, playing "Bolero" by Joseph-Maurice Ravel. I couldn't deny that Emmett was amusing, but I wasn't going to let him get away with his sly remark.

"Still, how could something like a stake through the heart kill us?" he continued. "We don't have living hearts; they're dead. And garlic would just leave a bad taste in our mouths, and nothing more. They could try to behead us if they wanted to, but they'd be sadly disappointed." He flipped to a page a few chapters ahead, before turning back to his current page. "Humans are funny. They think they're right all the time, but they are completely mistaken."

I pressed my lips into a forced smile as I watched him read his book, my chest heavy with envy as my fingers tickled the ivory keys of the baby grand. Emmett was only ten months into this life and he had already whole-heartedly accepted his nature. Meanwhile, I was over three years into my own immortal life, and I still couldn't completely accept it. The irony was so strange. I watched him laugh again, his dimples setting deep into his cheeks as he chortled through the misconceptions of a human's version of vampire mythology. He glanced up at me suddenly, his round, warm eyes still laughing in the way they narrowed happily in the lovely grin he gave me. I flashed a sincere smile in response, unable to help myself. He truly was my sunshine.

He amazed me. Emmett could smile through anything. He was laughing just days after killing someone—something I know Edward wouldn't able to do without drowning in remorse and self-loathing. Of course, I hardly had any experience, with only seven lives on my hand, none of which I killed for the purpose of sating my thirst. Those murders were justified in my mind, and even Edward understood them, but I wasn't laughing days later about it. The idea that I sought retribution, though satisfying, was more dramatic to me. It wasn't something I could walk away from without it affecting me psychologically or emotionally.

He read most of the book quickly as I began to play something else on the piano. Eventually he got bored with the book, and took a seat next to me on the piano bench. I felt his admiration-filled gaze on me, watching my fingers as they traveled along the keys of the baby grand. "Wow, you've got some serious talent, Rose. You're so amazing," he gushed, a smile cracking across his alluring features.

"Thank you," I breathed, with a smile in return, glancing at him momentarily before focusing back on the piano.

I felt him lean down to touch his lips onto the curve of my shoulder, which was bare from wearing a sleeveless sun dress. "You're welcome," he murmured against my skin, his warm lips dusting across my flesh.

I shivered and a giggle escaped from my lips. "Well, you're amazing too, you know," I beamed at him, continuing to run my fingers along the keys.

"I know," he joked, his lips curled up on one side, framed by his cute dimples. His eyes, soft pools of liquid ruby, looked at me with such reverence and adulation, like they always did. I knew that many found me to be pretty, but Emmett was the only one who could give me one look and make me feel completely beautiful—inside and out.

At that moment, I wondered if any two people could be happier together. I thought about Carlisle and Esme and their love, seemingly perfect. It was almost untouchable— their connection with one another; like no other two souls could be a more perfect match.

Almost.

But it wasn't the kind of connection that I had with Emmett. I was sure Emmett and I had a very strong connection, one that surpassed even my temper tantrums, his uncontrollable outbursts, my silly games, and his struggle with resisting humans. Despite it all, we had managed to be just as perfect and in harmony with one another, if not more.

****

"We're going to Rochester for a convention," Carlisle told me one evening. "Edward is coming along for some shopping. You two have to stay behind, and please don't leave the house. We can work on hunting another time. Edward and Emmett will hunt before we leave."

It had been over a week; over one long excruciating week, unable to be alone with Emmett in any forest, in any clearing, to work off our desires. My sexual tension hung over me like a bad spirit. I needed to lift it, to satiate it. I needed release.

I tried to hide the delight that threatened to flicker across my face as Carlisle told me this. I couldn't wait to have time alone with Emmett.

I felt Emmett's questioning eyes on me as Carlisle gave me the news. I remembered the talk he had with me about forgiving my family. Fearing that he may push me to go with them to Rochester, to go spy on my family again, I avoided eye contact. I'm sure I wasn't far from guessing his thoughts, in his hopes that my resentment towards my parents had passed.

I ignored it and concentrated on that delight at the prospect of being alone with him, even if just overnight. Unfortunately, the delight was cut short when Esme approached us an hour later as Emmett and I sat in the dining room reading the daily paper together.

"Now, with it just being the two of you here in the house, I trust the both of you to… use discretion," Esme said, with a certain look in her eyes. "Especially within the house, as there are so many valuable things here."

The not-so-subtle hint was loud and clear to me, and judging from Emmett's expression, he understood it as well. No doubt Emmett's strength—an enhanced trait much like edward's mindreading ability, and magnified by his newborn state—would leave an impact on a home if he wasn't careful.

We passed the day trying to find things to do in the house: playing chess, reading books, listening to the radio. Finding activities in the house to distract us from touching each other was a feat in and of itself. However, in his presence, I couldn't think straight, and I realized maybe I needed some space from him.

The following day, we were a bit wiser. We both agreed that we should probably do things apart from one another in the house. He played a few rounds of jacks by himself before deciding to listen to a game on the radio, while I read a few fashion magazines before heading to work on Carlisle's car. They had taken Edward's Volvo this time, leaving me to do some maintenance work on the Bentley.

Tinkering under the hood of Carlisle's automobile, I continued my work, forcing myself to concentrate. I didn't want to disappoint Esme. Having sex—or necking even—was not a viable option in this house, but that seemed to intensify my desire for him. Though necking would provide a more subdued control, I didn't trust myself to stop him from taking it further. My mind was filled with impure thoughts about Emmett, and nothing could distract me from it.

Turning to the door where I could see him in the living room listening to the game, I caught him gaping at me. He turned away from me instantly, obviously trying to find distractions himself.

I pondered again. I knew that Emmett had mentioned that sex could last longer, that there was a lot more to it than what we had done last week. I wanted to experience it. I wanted to know.

I heard the game come to a close. Emmett was in the garage in an instant. "You need help with anything?"

"I'd like that," I breathed, my voice alert. This was probably not a good idea to be near him while my sexual thoughts filled my mind, but his cinnamon cedar scent was impossibly hard to resist. I needed to be round him. "Would you pull out the tools I'll need for an oil and filter change?"

He hung his vest on the coat rack by the garage door, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt so he could fold his sleeves up past his elbows. He unbuttoned the front of his shirt, exposing his translucent sleeveless cotton undershirt.

I swallowed as he separated out the tools for me across the table against the wall of the garage with his large, skillful hands. Forgetting something from the toolbox beside me, he reached over between me and the car to grab it, his arm passing by me. His face and chest rubbed against my shoulder and I cleared my throat, trying to pretend not to notice him.

I felt him watch me from the corner of his eye as he did so, also clearing his throat.

Freshly baked bread. I loved his scent.

He returned to the table, laying out all of my tools in a nice, neat display. He slipped his shirt off of each of his arms, and I watched him, my eye lids heavy. He then greased the rubber seal of the new oil filter with some of the new oil, making sure to place the filter on the floor and that it was ready for installation

Watching his fingers wipe the oil on the seal made me want to whimper, but I sucked it in. I wanted Emmett: his mouth on me, the firm muscles of his chest against mine, his hands groping my backside. I realized my breathing had begun to accelerate, becoming shallow with wanton lust, my panties beginning to feel slippery with the liquid heat of my desire.

His eyes were on me in a second, his mouth strained shut. His nostrils flared slightly and I saw his Adam's apple move up and down his throat in a silent gulp.

"Th-the drain pan," I instructed, my voice cracking. "I'll need that under the car. And with you here, I won't need the jack."

He nodded, silently, getting on his knees and placing the drain pan underneath the car and pushing it into position below the oil tank.

"Ready?" he asked positioning both of his hands to lift the car above us.

I shook myself out of the trance. "You don't need to carry it directly above your head. I can get on the creeper, and you'll only have to lift it up about two feet."

"Sure," he said, trying to hide the huskiness of his voice.

Grabbing a wrench from his display, I sat on the creeper and leaned back to lie across it and pushed myself under as he lifted the car up with his hands. I didn't miss how his piercing, dark eyes traveled up and down my body as I slid underneath the car. I needed to be strong, and tried my best to concentrate on the task at hand. With the wrench, I loosened the drain plug and leaned to the side as the oil started to drip out. As it drained I loosened the old oil filter from the back of the engine. Grabbing the new filter that he'd placed on the floor nearby, I screwed it back on the engine.

I pulled myself out from under the car, hopping onto my feet gracefully and dusting off my trousers. I dismissed Emmett by giving him thanks, working to put away all the tools, but he continued to hover over me, trying to help me clean up. As he walked past me to drop a few devices into the tool box, he brushed his body against my back, and I stiffened as I felt a decidedly hard bulge from his pelvis. "You really don't need to help me clean up," I said.

"But I want to help," he insisted. As we finished, I felt self conscious as he lingered nearby, standing in the garage, his eyes intent upon my body.

"You need help with anything else?" he asked, his deep voice thick with yearning. I could tell there was a trace of pleading that flickered across his features, seeming to search for an excuse to be around me—to touch me.

_Must be strong_, I thought to myself. If we were ever to be allowed to hunt alone again, I would need to make nice with Carlisle and Esme. Trashing their home wasn't the way to do it, no matter how saturated my panties were at the thought. "Not really," I lied.

I broke away from him, deciding to change into a dress, wash my hands, and give myself a fresh manicure after an afternoon of car work. He reluctantly walked into the living room, flipping through the electronic television stations, but the few stations available left little to be desired and couldn't hold his attention. He then turned on the radio, tuning into the news.

I sat at the dining room with my bottle of nail enamel and recent issue of Harper's Bazaar. I kept myself preoccupied for a good few minutes, applying the shiny varnish on each of my perfect nails. I tested the enamel with my finger after about thirty minutes, though my enhanced vision told me that the varnish was, in fact, dry enough. I rose slowly from my feet, realizing that I had completely saturated my panties in all of my thoughts, the scent of my lust wafting in the air.

With a gust of wind, he was standing behind me, his body against my back. I felt his warm breath on my ear as he leaned into me. "You want me just as much as I want you," he could barely whisper. "I can smell it." His blatant note of my desire did not surprise me. He was always direct, and never afraid to say what was on his mind.

It did not, however, prevent my embarrassment at the truth of his observation. Still, the lids of my eyes lowered in an instant. I gulped, and I felt his hands on my hips, his fingers pulling the fabric of my dress upward inch by inch. "Emmett, we shouldn't," I forced myself to say, but by then, he had inched the hem of my dress up above my waist. The heat of his hand penetrated the bare skin of my backside as he slipped it under the silk of my drawers.

"No, we shouldn't," he agreed out loud, but his actions and hungry tone indicated something different. I felt his breath in hot waves against my ear before he took my earlobe between his teeth. Sucking on my lobe and letting it go from his lips with a pop, he then asked, "But I don't want to stop."

My head was spinning by then, and a rush of moist desire flooded between my thighs. I leaned my head back against his shoulder and Emmett turned his head to press his lips to mine. His hand slid up my side and cupped my breast over my blouse. I opened my mouth and fervently allowed his lips and tongue entrance. Our tongues battled, curling around each other and fighting for dominance. I had never felt so much desperation to have him. I whimpered as he sucked my tongue into his mouth and held my lower lip with his teeth.

He unbuttoned my dress pulling it off, before he tore at his own suit. Something about the frantic movements of his hands, the roughness of how he handled me—so new and unexpected—ignited a white-hot fire within me that I didn't realize existed. He grabbed me by the hips and turned me to face him then before vigorously pulling my brassiere from my body. He tossed the undergarment aside with a sexy smirk on his face and I giggled.

I held my face composed. "Easy, Emmett, we don't want to risk ruining the furniture," I cautioned.

He nodded, slowly bringing his mouth to my breast and taking one taut nipple into his lips. I gasped as he licked on it slowly before enveloping it into his mouth and sucking forcefully, enticingly. I gasped and moaned at the sensation, tunneling my fingers through his hair. I threw my head back and I felt his hand grab hold of my tendrils, pulling them back as he placed slow, open mouth kisses from my breast, up my neck and to my chin. Every kiss was getting faster, his hand found my breasts again kneading me gently but increasing in speed and eagerness as his mouth made a trail back down to my other breast. Finding the other nipple, neglected from his last oral exploration, he gave it his attention, tasting and nipping at it teasingly.

I gasped again, pressing my pelvis his leg, rubbing silk covered crotch against his thigh. He was being as gentle as he could under his intent fervor, and though I appreciated it, I realized I wanted the frantic pace of his hands on me again.

The moisture from my core was rampant, and that the moment his thigh felt my wet desire, he went crazy. "Oh God, Rose," he growled, placing me carefully to sit on the dining table. He slipped his hands soothingly down my panties and I whimpered, a grizzly snarling beginning to roar from within him.

Throwing me playfully against a nearby wall, he pinned himself against me, and my thoughts were a blur. He was all I wanted, and after over a week of not so much as one touch, I couldn't hold back any longer. His mouth found mine again, his tongue plummeting past my lips. The fever of his kiss transferred to me and through my body, coursing through my limbs and tingling my fingers and toes. His hands pawed at my drawers, and with one swift tug they became torn remnants on the floor beside our feet.

I pulled away as his hand descended downward on my body, my skin tingling with acute thrill. We both groaned in unison as his fingers found what they were looking for, his mouth devouring the skin of my neck and collarbone hungrily. I nearly cried out as I could feel the heat spreading through my legs as they began to quake.

My hands hooked onto the waistband of his Jockey shorts and pulled them swiftly down to his knees. He wiggled them off of his legs, kicking them impatiently as I squirmed my hips, rubbing my entrance against the tip of his erection. "Ugh, you drive me crazy," he moaned, his eyes locked with mine. And with one determined, precise thrust of his pelvis, he speared himself into my heat.

I held my breath, but I exhaled as I realized the dull pain I remembered from our first time wasn't the same as he entered me now. It was inviting and sensually delightful instead, rather than the initial dull pain, and I chanted his name. His eyes were fixed on mine. My fingers found the locks of his hair, curling around them and tugging lightly.

"Oh, Emmett," I sang, my chest heaving against his. My eyes flew open wide, and I cried out in unadulterated pleasure. My hands fisted at his downy hair again as if to ask more from him. Increasing his pace, I growled happily. My weight was supported with whatever he threw me against. Whatever buffer and surface we'd fall onto, he continued to pound into me. We both moaned and growled, looking each other in the eyes.

He carried me, his hands hooking on my thighs just below my buttocks, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. I felt myself being shoved against another barrier I wasn't sure of, pinned between his muscular body and a smooth object on my back.

He threw me against another wall, and another one again; against some furniture, against the floor. It could've been against the ceiling for all I was aware of; I really couldn't tell. I barely registered as I felt things break and shatter around us. In fact, I didn't care. I needed to feel this, no matter the cost

It was half of an hour later that we found ourselves collapsed in a quivering mass. Exhausted but satiated, we lay together silently, his hand drawing lazy circles on the side of my hip. I curled up beside him, shivering at his nails as they grazed my skin, ecstatic at our perfect act of love.

After a long moment of lying silently, he turned to face me. I felt his lips press into my hair right above my hairline as he leaned into me, encasing me into his strong, muscular arms. I responded by peppering his neck with soft, light kisses, euphoric after an amazing session of lovemaking. It was exhilarating to know that there was more to sex then what we had our first time, and today I found that it could just be as exciting as it would be romantic.

Suddenly Emmett clapped his hands together loudly looking up to the ceiling. "Woo," Emmett cheered, his booming voice echoing through the house. He threw his hand in a fist and pulled it to his chest like he just scored a touchdown. "Now_ that_ was… amazing." His voice was buoyant and jolly, and his animated nature was bubbling through his voice and cheeky grin. He turned his head to me taking my shoulders firmly into his large hands. "Wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," I agreed, giggling at his enthusiasm.

He leaned into me, and rolled me over so he would be on top of me. "I know you loved it just as much as I did. I_ knew_ I could do better!"

"Emmett, every time with you is great," I assured him.

"I could make sure every time would get better," he suggested, waggling his eyebrows at me before ducking his head to kiss me feverishly.

I pulled away from the kiss, turning my head to the side. I was realizing they could be coming home soon. "Wait, Emmett. Didn't they say they'd be back today?"

"Yeah. So?" I asked his mouth already working a trail down my collarbone.

"Baby, please," I breathed.

Looking up from me, Emmett gasped. "Oh, shit," he breathed, his eyes sweeping the space before him.

"What is it?" I asked, but as I followed his gazed… I saw it.

I drew out a sharp breath as my eyes sat wide at the vision before us. We had inadvertently torn down an internal wall of Esme's home; one that separated the living room from the kitchen and dining area. Pieces of the coffee table and love seat were scattered in a crazy disarray across the living room floor, with a few dining chairs knocked over in the dining room.

Eventually we got up to our feet, inspecting our damage. I whimpered, inspecting the wall and shaking my head at how torn the walls were, while Emmett continually reassured me that he could fix it. Apparently his human father was a carpenter and had taught him a thing or two. We gathered our clothes from around the living and dining room quickly, charging up the stairs and changing into a fresh set of clothes before meeting each other back in the living room to straighten up what we could.

And if timing of their arrival couldn't be impeccable enough, we heard the sound of an engine purring and coming towards the house. They were on their way home, and frantically began cleaning up more of what we could in dread and alarm. I could hear Emmett cursing under his breath as he threw pieces of the plaster from the wall in to one pile.

As we heard them park, we were standing in the living room— or what was left of the living room—to welcome them.

All three of them filed into the house from the garage as Emmett and I exchanged apprehensive glances at each other. It didn't give us enough time to thoroughly clean our mess, and it was just too late. The scent of what we done permeated the air and I bit my lip in complete anxiety as I met my parent's eyes.

Both Esme and Carlisle's brows raised up towards their hairline as their eyes swept across the perimeter of the living area. Behind them Edward followed, his face in utter disgust and equal dread to that of ours.

"Oh my," Carlisle commented, stepping through the dining room.

Edward, sour faced, walked with caution, his hands full of bags from Macy's. My natural affinity to shopping had me curious about the contents in those bags, and I wondered for a second if my dear brother bought anything for me.

My attention, however, was diverted quickly, as my adopted mother moved through her house. I felt shame as I watched her. We had completely disobeyed her request. "Esme… we can explain…" I began in a small voice, but judging from her expression, I knew nothing I could say could placate her.

"Emmett… Rosalie…" Esme breathed in utter horror. "My living room," she lamented, her voice sad. She didn't say anymore. She was rendered speechless at the moment, stepping over pieces of plaster and cement we missed, tiptoeing past scraps of upholstery and wood from wrecked furniture. I heard her gasp and whimper as she inspected the obliterated wall and furniture pieces. Her expression, growing in distress for every piece of home goods we had annihilated.

Carlisle stood rigid, his topaz eyes, seemingly glum, intent on me. I averted my eyes from what seemed like his scrutiny, and I wondered if it was because he held me as the most responsible and I had disappointed him yet again.

Edward looked just as rigid, stepping into the kitchen and away from the mess, placing the shopping bags onto the floor. I eyed him from the side, and his expression repulsed, as expected. However, there was an out of place touch of worry as he caught my eye. I couldn't help but wrinkle my brow at him.

"Oh, come _on_, you guys," Emmett scoffed in a playful tone, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You couldn't honestly expect us to keep our hands to ourselves, could you?"

Esme continued to walk through the house, but eventually her eyes stopped to rest on me as well, her face anguished.

I gulped as silence followed Emmett's sarcasm remained. It only told me that it wasn't well received. Judging from the fact that Esme now looked at me instead of Emmett, I assumed that she held me responsible.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "I tried not to. We both did, but in the end we just—"

"Don't worry, Esme," Emmett uttered in a soothing manner, cutting me off, He raised one hand as he came to stand beside her, rubbing Esme's back. "We'll fix it. With my old lumber skills and carpentry know-how, I could have that wall up for you in a week—maybe even less."

"Thank you, Emmett. I'd like that very much," she said. I watched as she gave him a forced smile before turning to me with worry and fear. I was shocked at how quickly she let it go, and wondered if that was the end of it.

I didn't understand her expression. In fact it seemed Carlisle wore the same face as she did. I felt ill at ease under their watchful eye, and from the corner of my vision, I saw that Edward was looking at me the same way now.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked, completely baffled at their peculiar façade.

"Look I said I was sorry," I stated, a bit paranoid as they studied me with troubled features.

"Rose," Carlisle breathed, his voice soothing, with an apprehensive undertone.

I couldn't make sense of such a strange expression on their faces. Confusion didn't stick with me too long, however, as I began to comprehend that there was something to be said… and it wasn't about the sex. I suddenly realized their wary expressions weren't entirely about the house. "Esme, Carlisle, what is it?"

Carlisle took a deep breath. "Rosalie, it's your parents."

I tilted my head as I gauged the sorrow in their features. I realized whatever they had to say wasn't good. I held my breath as I waited for the news.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**1930's (and earlier) Vocabulary:**

A bit lit – slightly drunk

You dig me – do you understand?

A sheet to the wind- tipsy, buzzed

Bent/Fried/Splifficated – drunk

Seeing pink elephants – super drunk

Tomato – Attractive Woman

Doll - Woman

**Writing Update:**

**Chapter 2 of Strength and Remorse will be up next**, before I come back with V&P's Chapter 23 (Grief). To check out chapter 1 of S&R, check it out at my profile.

My entry to the series "Twilight After Dark (TAD)" called **"And Then There Were Three," **a naughty alternate universe one-shot on an Emmett/Rosalie/Edward threesome, is now available. Check it out at my profile!

My entry into the UNFmett Contest (and the TAD series) called **"The Cable Guy**", a naughty AU/AH Em/Ro one-shot is now available. Check it out at my profile.

If you're a pervert like me and enjoy wonderfully written smut, I highly encourage you to check out other works under the series **"Twilight After Dark". Check it out at my profile.  
**

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

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For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	25. Chapter 24: Grief

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight.

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

**Chapter specific warning: No lemons today. Just sadness and self-discovery.**

To my beta for this chapter: KariAnn, thank you so much for agreeing to do this!

To my Mikey, who is my rock, and the best, most supportive boyfriend ever. I love you!

To my readers, thanks for sticking around! I know that all the drama has passed, and I appreciate all of you who are still here to read how I end this story. I have about 6-7 more chapters to go with this. So with this chapter, I'm taking a break from the smut, and turning up the serious dial. Hope you like it!

**Playlist: **

Adele – Hometown Glory

Sarah McLachlan – I Will Remember You

Bette Midler – The Rose

Eric Clapton –Tears In Heaven

Boyz II Men & Mariah Carey – One Sweet Day

* * *

I was waiting for him to try another time, but his thoughts took a different direction. He was picturing Bella's face again, but imagining it whiter, imagining her eyes bright red…

"No," I said, my voice strangled.

"It solves your worries about mortality, doesn't it? And then you wouldn't want to kill her, either. Isn't that the best way?"

"For me. Or for her?"

"For you," he answered easily. His tone added the _of course_.

I laughed humorlessly. "Wrong answer."

"I didn't mind so much," he reminded me.

"Rose did."

He sighed. We both knew Rosalie would do anything, give up anything, if it meant she could be human again. Even Emmett.

"Yeah, Rose did," he acquiesced quietly.

—Edward and Emmett, _Midnight Sun_, Partial draft, Page 151, by Stephenie Meyer

* * *

**Chapter 23: Grief**

Numbness.

I felt nothing.

No sadness, no anger, yet I knew I wasn't well and far from happy at the moment. I couldn't feel the floor beneath my feet, or even the strong arms that held me every so often. I stared unseeingly at the ceiling; out the window. I couldn't hear the voices that spoke to me, though I knew my family was offering their consolation. For the last seventy-two hours, I'd resembled something close to a zombie.

I had almost made peace with the fact that I'd left that life, no matter how much I wanted it back. I knew I could never have my mortality. I'd spent two years trying to bring myself to acknowledge that fact. I knew that I would never have the opportunity to feel my mother embrace me or receive another pretty dress from my father ever again. I would never have to chase my brothers around the house or put them to bed. I would never have a chance to have a family like they did. I understood that they were my past, even though my curiosity and desire for that life brought me to spy on them on occasion. Still, why did it affect me so when I heard news that my parents had passed on?

Carlisle and Esme had disposed of the local Rochester paper that they'd brought home with them in case I wanted to know the details. Realizing quickly that I didn't want to know more than I needed, they'd then thrown it out. However, the headline was burned into my memory, standing momentarily at the forefront of my thoughts. "Vehicle Run Off Bridge by Passing Truck, Killing Man and Wife."

The one good thing about the paper was the funeral information in the obituary section, something that my superhuman eye had caught as Emmett was about to take the trash out. I stepped out of my zombie stupor for a moment and snatched the paper, reading and absorbing the details of the service. Emmett held my hand, coming to Carlisle with it, asking if I could at least be present, and be a fly in the wall. The family was not surprised by my desire for a chance to bid farewell to my parents. Emmett, of course, who hadn't left my side since the news was brought to me, insisted he come along. I didn't have any objection to such a suggestion, knowing I would probably need all the support I could get.

"Of course, Rosalie. I have no qualms about your presence at the funeral," Carlisle answered, and immediately I felt a tiny bit better, numb feeling aside. "However, you must ensure that you are not seen, much less recognized. Also, I cannot allow Emmett to go with you when so many humans will be there. Not after what happened last week."

Emmett hung his head, clearly displeased in Carlisle's decision, but never disrespectful enough to argue with his word. In my numbness I was able to still feel a hint of disappointment, as I looked to Emmett for my strength, though I knew this was going to be painful with or without him.

Esme rubbed Emmett's back, trying to help him feel better. It was easy to see he was a bit distraught and slightly remorseful—the consequences of his human experiment catching up to him.

I saw Carlisle's eyes flicker between us before he walked back to his study with a slight look of unease on his face. I wondered what that was all about, but figured it was nothing.

A couple of days later—the day before the funeral—Carlisle called for a family meeting in the dining room. I felt mildly surprised as I wondered what it could be about.

Carlisle looked at us with a serious expression on his face. "I wanted to call this meeting to discuss the plans about the funeral. I feel that I was a bit hasty in my decision about Emmett."

Emmett and I both furrowed our brows, but I noticed that Edward and Esme seemed to be in on this discussion before we sat with them.

"I have decided to let Emmett accompany you to the service. I apologize that I will be in a forty-hour shift at the hospital, and will be unable to be there for you in your time of grief. I have asked Edward and Esme to accompany you both to the funeral. They can be there to restrain Emmett should he lose control."

Both of our heads shot up to look at Carlisle, and my posture straightened. Emmett's face lit up, and I felt both of his hands encase mine.

"We cannot take any risks with this, Rosalie, but we want to help you any way we can. You will all be able to watch and listen to the funeral at a distance, with Emmett by your side this way."

For a moment the numbness wore off, and I barely suppressed a sob as I hugged Carlisle as joyfully while I could in all my sorrow, reaching over the table to do so. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"I'm glad to accommodate you," he chuckled lightly. It seemed to give him joy to receive such a reaction after a few days of my zombie stupor. He pulled away from me and motioned for all of us to be seated again. "Edward, please ensure that you park on the other side of the cemetery. I'm sure you can be far enough that their scent wouldn't affect Emmett so much, yet still be able to hear and see the service." He turned to both of us as he continued. "We cannot allow for any slips or the chance for her family to spot her."

"You have my word, Carlisle," Edward reassured him.

After discussing the finer details, Esme had me follow her up to their room, leading me to the bed with a large box. Esme had ordered me a simple sleeveless black day dress for the service, with a matching demi cloche hat. The dress had a distinctive ruffled-collar that I couldn't help but notice, and I would have admire them both for longer if I wasn't so deadened. I was thankful for her thoughtfulness, and ended up giving her a large embrace as well.

The next day, all of us piled into the Volvo, clad in black and white. The drive was unbelievably long. I was impatient in the eight hours, apprehensive as the world passed us by in the window. Edward was driving, with Esme in the passenger seat. Emmett sat with me in the back, my hand in his strong grasp. As we neared the state of New York, I began to feel more emotion. The numbness was wearing off, and I stiffened as the apprehension and pain of loss crept up from my toes to my head.

Summer rain poured down as we neared my hometown. We reached the cemetery just in time for the service to begin, parking on the opposite side, many yards from the gathering as a precaution for Emmett per Carlisle's instruction. I could still see and hear them from afar with my heightened senses.

Memories of my parents flickered in my mind like quick photo stills in a movie projector, only very hazy and muddied. I instantly became frustrated that my human memories were so blurry. _Stupid vampire mind._

Though I had made a conscious effort during my transformation to hold onto the memory of events that had led to my mortal end, the recollection of my human life was compromised by my immortal nature. I knew that during the tranformation, human memories faded as we changed into our immortal bodies, leaving them to be like a human trying to recall moments of his childhood.

I had small mental pictures of my father giving me the prettiest dresses and my mother keeping house. I could see myself tucking my brothers in one night and another morning sitting between my parents at church.

Every type of memory had been condensed to a single picture. All of the times my father had come home with pretty gifts for me was a truncated version of one lone memory; a faint image, actually. Every family dinner squished into one image. How disappointing. How unbelievably frustrating.

I listened to the pastor's sermon as he spoke in general about life; about life beyond this life on earth about moving onto the kingdom of heaven. It was then followed by my parent's eulogy, which was filled with lovely remarks about my mother, and strong, proud acknowledgements about my father.

It was preceded by speeches by both of my brothers, which were the most difficult for me to listen to. Both were filled with small memories of them, ones that I had long forgotten, and ones that I didn't even remember anymore. My frustration with myself grew.

"And lastly, I'd like to say," Ronnie concluded, "that I rest in the comfort that Mother and Father are in a better place, with our dear sister, Rosalie, by their side."

The line threw me. I shut my eyes and wept. I gripped onto Emmett's arm, searching for his support as I looked for his soothing nature to nourish my grief. He held onto me and peppered the side of my face with small kisses before nuzzling his nose on the side of my head, taking in the scent of my hair.

I realized then that Emmett's grip on my arms was just as strong as mine was on him. His face was buried in my hair, and I could feel him taking in large breaths of my scent with his nose. It was only then that I realized that he was using me as a buffer for his own control. I was a distraction for him to not bust out of the car and run those several yards to all of those humans and draining them of life. He clutched onto me tightly, his trembling constant. It faded as the ceremony went on, and eventually I was able to return my attention to the service.

I looked out my window, and in the faint distance I saw Ronnie next to Richard, who was holding Janice King's hand. Janice, in a black empire waist dress, had a belly, perfectly round, ripe with my niece or nephew. Ronnie held a large umbrella above her, protecting her and her large belly from the rain.

Thick venom rose to my throat much like bile would a human, leaving a bitter, unpleasant taste. Jealousy and envy soured my expression, and my resentment for my situation ignited within me once again. It had lain dormant for months, distracted by the happiness and sunshine that Emmett's carefree nature and love had brought to my life. I had forgotten my impossible desire and my bitterness for what I was. I wasn't sure if it was watching my parents being put to rest, or the sight of Janice's very pregnant belly, or both. Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I would give anything and everything to be human again and experience such natural, normal things. I wanted to sleep, I wanted to sweat, and I wanted to cry tears. I wanted to carry a child in my womb.

I wanted to be human.

Before the night that Carlisle had found me, I had been pleased with my life. I was eighteen, and I was beautiful. I was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, and the world was my oyster. I was happy with what my family had, and our small but fortunate living had made the Great Depression seem like a silly myth. There was nothing I could complain about, and I wouldn't have changed a thing—except for Royce. How I was so in love with the idea of him. If I just hadn't accepted his proposal and hadn't been so enthralled with the idea of living in the King's Estate with my fair-haired children running around in the lawn, maybe I could be leading a normal human life. I could've kicked myself for not knowing exactly how good I'd had it; though a large part of me _had_ known. I had taken it all for granted, and now I would give anything to have it back.

I hated that I was imprisoned into this life. Nobody asked me what I wanted. No one asked me if I wanted this. I would have gladly chosen to die instead. Of course, I hadn't been conscious enough at the time to voice my opinion on the matter, but still. I knew it. I knew it with every inch of my being—from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. I knew that I would trade everything in this life to have my mortal life back. I would trade my lovely wardrobe, the beautiful leather shoes, my living in the gorgeous Cullen Manor. I would even give up my coveted ethereal beauty. I would trade my adoptive parents and brother. I would give anything. I would trade everything.

Anything.

Everything.

I saw Edward's eyes dart towards me from the rear view mirror, and I immediately put my thoughts to a halt.

_Everything?_

I gulped. I questioned myself thoroughly. Did I really want to give up everything? I felt the man's lips press against my scalp. Did I want to give this up as well? After all the steps I'd taken to be close to the love of my immortal life, would I leave him behind to be mortal again? I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to admit it, but no matter how shameful a fact it was, it was the truth.

I inhaled deeply, exhaling a large breath.

Yes.

Everything.

I'd give up everything.

Including Emmett.

I had shut my eyes, squeezing my lids together because I didn't want to face Edward. I knew he could hear me, and I felt his eyes boring into me from the rear view mirror again.

Even as I felt Emmett bury his face into to my silky tresses further, I knew I'd give Emmett up to be human again. He was still clutching onto me like I was his lifeline, and I couldn't even rightfully feel guilty for my epiphany. It was the truth. I would give him up to live again, to sleep again, to bleed, sweat, and cry tears again.

It wasn't that I didn't love him. I did. With every ounce of my being, I loved Emmett. I knew that. I knew that I needed him, and he was all I wanted in this life. In reality—in our iron-fleshed, cold-skinned, thirst-burning-throat reality—I was rightfully and completely his. He had my devotion for all of eternity and beyond. He was my heart. My mind, however, was another story in itself. I knew with undisclosed, positive certainty one thing. If, by some miracle, I was offered a chance to become human again, and the price I would have to pay would be to leave everything—and everyone—behind, I would do it with no questions asked.

Confident in my epiphany, I opened my eyes slowly. With a bubble of apprehensive dread expanding in my chest, I met the eyes that I expected to be glaring daggers at me: Edward's golden, blameful eyes.

However, our eyes met, and I was shocked. Edward's eyes were soft and reluctantly understanding, like soft pools of liquid topaz. The arch of his brow was sympathetic, rather than disappointed, as I would have expected them to be. I stared back at him in wonder for a moment, my brows arching in question. He switched his eyes away from me immediately, his expression seeming apologetic at his obvious intrusion into my thoughts.

The moment was interrupted as I felt Emmett begin to quiver once again while he held me. Both Edward and I averted our attention towards him.

"Emmett, hold onto your will," Edward encouraged him. "That's Rosalie's family out there. Think about Rosalie—how much she means to you, how much _they_ mean to _her_. Don't let your thirst be the end of the people she cares about."

Emmett fought the snarl that began to build in his chest.

"Hold your breath if you need to. Or find some sort of distraction," Edward continued to guide him. "Find something—anything."

Complying, Emmett adjusted his arms, wrapping them completely around my frame. He pulled the fingers of one of his hands through my golden locks, grabbing hold of them firmly. "I love you," he whispered to me.

Silently, I leaned into him further, giving him my unsaid reply that I loved him, too. I couldn't find my voice to verbally reply, and my mind was still far away—somewhere away from this life. My mind had me standing there next to Ronnie as he spoke, holding his hand.

It was after nightfall by the time everyone had finally left the cemetery. The chance of running into a human and endangering them with the threat of Emmett's thirst was scarce at that hour. We finally stepped out of the car. The rain had stopped a couple hours ago, and the pungent sour air of freshly fallen rain laid heavy around us.

I was immediately at their grave, flitting to the fresh mounds of reddish-brown earth. Floral arrangements stood everywhere surrounding the graves. I read their tombstones with the envy that inflated in my chest.

_Ronald B. Hale_

_March 27, 1894 to July 13, 1936_

_Husband, Father, Brother, Friend_

_Anna Lillian Hale_

_August 3, 1897 to July 13, 1936_

_Wife, Mother, Sister, Friend_

I held back another tearless sob.

Emmett was right.

It was then that I knew I couldn't continue to begrudge them of what happened to me that one fateful night in Rochester. It was not their fault, what Royce had done to me. I had been just as thrilled to marry him as my parents had been for me to marry a King. Therefore, I was just as much to blame, buying into his charade;his mask. He had fooled us all with his gentlemanly façade.

I felt Emmett take my hand with his. He brought my hand up to his lips, dusting them softly across my knuckles.

My eyes—still fixed on my parents' graves—slowly shut. I felt a pang of shame, knowing that in this life, I needed him and didn't plan on living my immortality without him. I would never survive this life without him. I needed Emmett like a fish needed water. I needed him like air if I was human.

If I was human.

Why couldn't I have met him then? It was a silly wish, and we'd lived hundreds and hundreds of miles apart, but I couldn't help but wonder. I couldn't help but wish.

Why couldn't I have walked into the lumberyard in Gatlinburg that Emmett had managed, rather than foolishly taking my dad's lunch to Royce's bank that day? In a perfect world, I would have met Emmett then, when my eyes had still been a violet blue, and his hazel. In a perfect world, I would be human, and Emmett would have found me. In a perfect world, I would have walked down to meet him at the end of the aisle, in a long, white gown, with my father on my arm, at a large, flowery wedding. We would have had a beautiful life, in a large house filled with babies, children, and grandchildren. I would have happily grown old with the man that stood beside me at that moment; to have it end in a grave exactly like the one before me. We would take our eternal rest side by side, our full lives set to end in peace forever.

I gently let go of his hand and knelt down to grab a handful of airy soil from their grave. I opened up my hand, palm up, letting the grains of earth fall, surprisingly velvet in texture, as it sifted through the cracks between my fingers. Envy filled my heart. I knew that I'd give anything to be laid to rest beside them; anything to have rightfully died when it was my time. It was a morbid thought, but I couldn't deny my desire: that six feet of this fine velvet earth was what I wanted to lay beneath forever.

I felt Emmett's arms around my waist as I stood up before his lips met my temple. Without protest, I let him hold me from behind, pressing me flush against his body. However, I found it difficult to return his embrace or even secure his arms with my own to keep them belted at my waist. I dusted my hands together to get rid of any residual dirt, and I felt Emmett rest his chin on my head.

On my other side, Esme looped her arm through mine, linking us together on my right. She studied me as her other hand soothingly chaffed at my shoulder.

I should've felt shame for what I was thinking. This family had been more than generous to me, and Emmett had been my rock. I didn't understand why I couldn't just be happy with what I had, but as it was in my nature, I always wanted what I couldn't have. I couldn't deny my desire.

I felt Edward—who stood a few feet from me on my left—observe me silently from the corners of his eyes. My eyes flickered to him and back to the grave. I was grateful that he gave me the peace of today; to think and feel freely during my time of grief.

I prayed for his respectful discretion.

We all stood for a long moment of silence as the scent of stargazer lilies and freshly cut roses filled my nose. Eventually I was ready to go home, when my eyes flickered once again to Edward whose eyes would switch to me every so often. I was feeling a bit of guilt realizing what he heard in my head, but as my eyes passed behind him, I became distracted. It wasn't until I had deflected my eyes to the left of just where Edward was standing, that I saw something that caught my eye. Behind him was a fresh yellow rose on a grave. My eyes travelled up the tomb, and my breathing stopped as I saw that it read:

_Rosalie Lillian Hale_

_February 6, 1915 - April 13, 1933_

_Daughter, Sister, Friend_

My mouth dropped. I had spotted Ronnie lay a fresh flower to the side earlier after the service, on his way to the car. I did not realize that the pretty yellow rose was meant for my own grave.

I stepped away from Emmett and Esme's hold to walk over and touch the smooth surface of my very own tombstone, with my name carved so perfectly into the slab of marble. My hand glided over it covetously, wiping away the drops of rain from earlier fall, and I felt all three of my family members watch me as I did so.

I knew that there was a service held for me, but aside from my escape to kill Royce and his friends, I was basically under house arrest while we lived in Rochester, especially being a newborn. I was never certain about my grave and its whereabouts, but seeing it here before me sent a daggar straight through my heart.

I pulled my hand away suddenly, and my body began to react physically in all of my emotion, a sensation resembling a cross between nausea and hyperventilation. I held my hand to my chest as I heaved. "T—take me home," I demanded under my breath. "Take me home, please!"

Emmett and Esme were at my side immediately, and basically carried me to the car, my knees completely weakening in my state of frenzied agony. Edward held the door as they helped me climb in.

The drive home was silent, and I laid my head against Emmett's shoulder as he drew lazy circles on my bare flesh. My body slowly calmed back to normal in the long hours of the drive. When we reached home, I excused myself to my room, needing a few moments alone. I closed the door behind me, stepping out of my gown and into my silk kimono robe. I lied across the couch and tried desperately to clear my mind.

After a couple of hours, I heard a tap at my window. I was met by kind, crimson-lined, citrine irises, framed by pleading brows.

"Let me in," he whispered.

I gave a small smile and pushed it open, stepping aside so he'd have room to push his large frame through.

He hopped in with a very soft, graceful landing. "Hi," he murmured softly.

"Hello," I said. I cocked my head to the side. "You can use the door, you know."

"I like the cloak and dagger of this way better," he said with a smirk.

"Everyone can hear you, though," I reminded him. "They all know you're in my room."

His eyes travelled to the ceiling, considering this. "Eh," he shrugged, looking back down at me, "this way is more fun."

I returned the smile he gave as he answered me before I turned away. My thoughts drifted, as did my eyes. I was still in a grieving stupor. He studied my face for a moment, trying to decipher my expression.

Suddenly he scooped me up into his arms, lying sideways on my couch. "What are you doing?" I asked, though I didn't protest, once again.

He placed me beside him to lie on my side, faced away from him. His arms found their place around my waist, and I snuggled my head under his chin against his neck.

I felt his breath in my hair again before he placed a kiss on my scalp.

Without effort, my mind drifted to an imaginary human life – one that didn't necessarily involve Emmett. I bit my lip as my heart battled my thoughts.

****

It had been a week since the funeral. I stood on a mountain top alone as the partially cloudy sky moved above me. I was in deep meditation as my eyes swept the lands below. It was one of those funny weather days, where the sky couldn't decide between rainy or sunny. Pockets of dark clouds rained on me for moments in between sessions of sunlight. Its golden rays bounced off a million facets of my diamond-like flesh in tiny rainbow sparkles. When it rained, I let the little drops of water fall on me, so rarely welcomed by my everyday vanity. I didn't really care what my hair looked like today. I was here alone to think; to be alone; to contemplate my life. The focus was on my regret and the way I had disregarded my parents until so recently.

My mortal life was a simple place – nothing like the complicated life I lived now. My thoroughly middle class family had been kept by my father's fortunate opportunity. His prosperity in his stable job at the bank had been his pride, as he regarded it as a reward for his talents and hard work. I was beginning to realize he had been smug about it, not acknowledging the luck involved with landing a stable job in such a bad economy. It was such that he'd left me with the impression that the less fortunate—the ones greatly affected by the economic hardships—had brought it on themselves.

My mother had kept us and our house in spotless order. That had been her job. I had always been aware, but it became clearer to me, as I thought it through, that I was her first priority above my brothers –and her favorite child. I had come to realize, in my time away from my parents, that I had been their ticket to getting more of the finer things in life, even though we'd obviously had more than many. Their social aspirations had rendered them blind to the faults of the more fortunate; the rich, the royalty… the Kings.

Could I have been too hasty to put my death… my attack… on them as well?

I had been happy—no, thrilled—_thrilled_ to be Rosalie Hale. Admiration had been like blood is to me now. I had been beautiful, and I'd wanted to be regarded as such. I'd wanted to be revered. I'd wanted to be loved. My beauty had led me to believe that nothing could stop me from getting what I wanted… that huge wedding, with everyone watching me, envious of the beautiful, blushing bride on her father's arm. I had been just as aspiring. I'd wanted to marry Royce and had been completely in love with the idea of him; the idea of his riches. I had projected a fantasy upon him that he was my prince. My parents' influence on me had been that I'd wanted material things as well. I'd been blinded by the greed; the idea; the fantasy.

If they had been at fault, then so had I. But I _hadn't_ been at fault, and neither had they.

Royce was the culprit. Royce was my attacker. Royce was my rapist. Royce was my murderer. Royce was the thief who stole my youth, my innocence, and my mortality. Royce was the end all of my deepest, truest fantasies, and no one else.

I felt a warm breeze and a light rumble of stealthy feet, too low for a human to pick up, very obviously a vampire. In an instant, I took a defensive stance in case it was a nomad, remembering how Viktor had snuck up on me that one time.

However, my alarm was washed away. I looked over my shoulder when I smelled cinnamon and cedar, and there he was.

Emmett stopped mere feet from me, slowing his pace as he neared. "There you are," he said. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I didn't mean to travel far," I answered. I knew that I was overlooking Kentucky, but I was only but twenty miles from home. My eyes swept the surrounding area. "They let you out by yourself?"

"No, Edward and Esme are hunting close by. I've already had my meal. They're in mind-reading range, so they let me go look for you on my own, sort of."

I nodded, knowing that he was still under constant surveillance under Carlisle's order after killing the farmer so recently. "I see." I gazed at his alluring features through my dewy lashes, moist from the freshly fallen rain. I gave him a small, forced smile before I turned back to look down on the town.

Emmett had closed the distance between us, standing beside me and following my eyes to watch what I was watching. "No, you didn't go far, but the rain washed your scent away, so it made it difficult to find you."

"Sorry about that," I muttered.

"No worries. I came to check if you were all right… and if you needed me. If not, I could leave you, but I thought I'd at least offer…"

I was silent for a long moment before I answered him. "Thank you," I breathed, before turning my head upward to look at him towering beside me. "I don't mind you being here."

I turned back to look at the town, people on the streets, busy with their everyday occurrences. I was mesmerized by watching humans—watching life just happen.

Emmett wasn't as entertained. After a long while, he began shifting his weight and switched his posture every few moments, clearly bored by my current past time.

I turned to him, rather amused by his efforts. He was very much a man in some aspects, but a playful young spirit in many other ways. "You don't have to be here, though. I know I said I don't mind, but if you do, I'd understand."

"No," he protested, "I want to be here for you." He kissed my cheek, snaking one arm around my shoulder.

I still didn't offer my arm around his, which is something I would have instinctively returned any other time. My heart wanted me to, but my mind wouldn't let me. It knew the truth that my heart didn't want to admit. It knew what I really wanted. I had been pleasant to him for the past week, but my realization had kept me from exerting more effort in affection. I knew he was concerned.

I figured verbally I could offer some consolation to him. "Thank you for being so wonderful."

"It comes with loving someone, babe," he chuckled, his lips brushing at my ear.

I wasn't sure if I was still neck deep in grief, but for once, I didn't shiver at his touch. I was quiet again, and he let me stand in silence, turning to kiss my hair every other moment.

I began to shift my weight now under his watchful eye. I was sure he was waiting for me to fill the silence, and let him know what was on my mind. "You were right," I offered, surrendering.

He pulled away slightly so that he could turn to look at me. "About what?"

"Everything," I sighed.

He tilted his head and narrowed his happy citrine colored eyes. "I think I need a bit more explanation than that."

"On our first date, when you did the picnic with the blankets and the candles and the music… you said 'human life is short, and an eternity is a long time to hold a grudge, especially one that isn't completely warranted.'"

His face turned serious, yet still remained gentle. "Good memory. Yes, I did say that. What about it?"

"You were right. It wasn't their fault. We were all misguided. Royce," I managed to choke his name through clenched teeth, "deceived us all. And I had the audacity to blame my parents and begrudge them of something that wasn't their fault." My eyes trailed away from him, and I stared unseeingly at his shoulder. "Why didn't I listen to you?" I whispered, my voice cracking. I felt myself begin to cry tearlessly, my body trembling.

"Aww, baby." He took me into his arms, and I buried my face in his chest.

"Why didn't I just hear you out?" I lamented under my breath.

"Because you're my beautiful, stubborn little woman, that's why," he breathed in a humorless chuckle. "You wouldn't be Rosalie if you were different. If you were anything less, I wouldn't love you as much as I do. You needed time. I knew that."

I took my lower lip between my teeth. I took in his scent— sweet, woodsy, and spicy—and I caved, enveloping him in my arms as I sobbed.

"Shh," he hushed as I rubbed my face against shirt. I felt him lift his hand, combing his fingers through my hair. "The important thing is you now know what matters most. It's good you realized it. Now your thoughts and memories of them can bring a smile to your face rather than a frown."

My bottom lip trembled as I turned my head to the side to take an unnecessary breath of fresh air. Emmett was so right. He was completely wonderful, and I didn't deserve him. However, I was selfish enough never to admit it out loud. He was everything I never knew I needed now. "Please don't ever leave me," I begged, my voice small. "I don't think I could ever live like this without you."

He held me tighter and gave a light chortle. "Who said I would ever let you go?"

Yes, it was selfish, especially considering the fact that I'd leave him without looking back once to be human again. I had silently thanked Edward for his discretion. I was scared by now that he would have said something, but judging from Emmett's demeanor around me, it was obvious to myself that Edward hadn't.

****

It was a few days later that Edward and I took Emmett on another hunting trip. We wanted him to sustain his thirst for blood and to ensure that an animal diet would suffice. Naturally, we were on a hunt for Emmett's favorite.

My realization still hung over me like a dark cloud, following me wherever I went. With that cloud was Edward's scrutiny in the glances that he shot at me when dark thought crossed my mind—scrutiny that I didn't enjoy.

Emmett stood a few good yards from us, still wrestling and dodging the black bear relentlessly, and for longer than necessary. Of course with his best brother and best woman hunting with him, he knew we'd give him the opportunity to play.

I shifted on my feet awkwardly under my brother's fleeting looks . I sighed. "What?" I finally chided in a low voice in complete frustration_. You don't think I deserve him,_ I thought towards Edward. _You're going to tell him what I'm thinking._

"I wouldn't need to," he whispered calmly. "Not that I would want to in the first place. That is of a personal matter between you both. It's not my business; not where love is concerned, that is."

"Then why do you look at me like that? And what do you mean you wouldn't need to?" I hissed under my breath. I was sure Emmett couldn't hear our whispers with our large distance from him, and the wrestling moves he continually put on the poor animal only confirmed that fact.

"I just wouldn't underestimate Emmett if I were you. He is a fun and animated character—and his playfulness can be often misconstrued for a lack of intellect. He is far from that, smarter than even our class valedictorian."

I narrowed my eyes at Edward. "Of course I know he's brilliant. Emmett is an intelligent individual, and know one knows that better than I do," I growled quietly, taking a defensive stance. "I resent that you make that judgment on me."

He rolled his eyes as I spoke. "Yet you assume he doesn't know your feelings about this life," Edward hissed back, his eyebrow arching to challenge me.

I stared at him in bewilderment. "He knows," I answered defensively, folding my arms across my chest. "I know he knows."

Edward turned his head to watch Emmett finally grab hold of the bear's head and snap its neck. "But you still assume he doesn't know you'd trade it all to be human again—_even him_." He spoke every word slowly, his voice soft yet deliberately articulate.

I stared at Edward, horrified, my eyes blinking rapidly at his revelation. "_Does_ he?"

He turned to me with his lips pursed, an expression of confirmation. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Rose. And Emmett, well, he's quite perceptive—especially with you."

Guilt ripped through me like a knife. I turned my head to watch as Emmett danced around the bear, basically on its way to falling forward after getting its neck broken. "Oh," I whispered, beginning to tremble. I had not known he had a clue, and I felt a bit foolish. I could hear Emmett chortling about the bear in the distance; so innocent, and child-like. I had assumed he was ignorant of my feelings, but at this moment my heart grew heavy with dread. _What must he think of me?_

Following my train of thought, Edward began to speak again. "Emmett is a realist," he continued in a low voice, responding to my mental question. Both of our eyes were on Emmett now. "He knows you'd trade all— including him— if you had that chance. However, his reasoning for not letting it get to him is quite simple. It's that the chance is an impossibility. He knows you would never be faced with that decision."

Edward paused, turning to me as a moment of hurt flickered on my face at his words. _An impossibility. _My stomach continued to roll.

His hand touched my arm for a brief moment. "It isn't possible, Rosalie. We all know that."

I pressed my lips together in response, my eyes flickering towards him and back to Emmett.

Letting his arm fall to his side, he turned back to Emmett, who was drinking from the bear's neck. "Emmett is fine with that conclusion. He has complete faith that you'd never leave him in this life, and its permanent nature helps his security. It doesn't hurt him because he knew what cards he was dealing with before he came to you with his feelings for you. He doesn't think ill of you for it. He was plenty aware of your reluctance for this life long before you were…. lovers." His face soured at the expression, but he continued with his thought. "He is determined to make this life for you a happy one…. With all of his power, he wants to make the best out of what you have… for _you_."

My stomach churned uncomfortably. _This doesn't make me feel any better, Edward._

"I know," Edward said, turning back to me. "But I thought you should know that."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I thought you didn't want to interfere where love was concerned."

Edward chuckled a bit. "When it doesn't harm the relationship, and I believe I can help it, I do believe it is warranted." He turned to me, his face somewhat pleading. "Please don't try to hide things from him, Rosalie. He is much more understanding than you give him credit for."

I let out a sigh.

It was rare for me to witness my brother's generosity and understanding—especially when it was directed at me. I wondered for a moment how he could be so even-tempered about my current thoughts. Surely he was closer to Emmett, his favorite sibling. One would expect him to side with the sibling he so favored.

Following my silent thoughts, he responded. "You're forgetting that out of everyone in this family, no one is as understanding about your feelings for what we are like I am." His voice was soft, and I was grateful.

I pressed my lips together and pondered that for a moment. "True," I nodded, and I began to comprehend his reaction.

He shared Carlisle's idea of ethics, and he cherished human life—but to an extreme. Carlisle found comfort in being a doctor in order to help people, which I figured was in hopes that it may atone for the sins of others of our kind. However, Edward believed that no matter how ethical we were, we were damned regardless. He was disgusted by our true nature—to be monsters, or "soul-less beings" as he would refer to it. The normal of our kind killed people to live—hunted families, wives, and babies— in order to survive. For that, he was certain we couldn't have souls. Though he did leave to live his own away from Carlisle for a decade, he ultimately knew Carlisle's way of life was for the better. He didn't want to be a monster.

Of course, with this fact, he would understand my desire to be human again, and I would rightfully trade whatever I needed to for it. Though our issues were not exactly of the same sense, Edward and I both had a commonality that we had issues with being vampires. It was one out of three common threads between us, with the other two being music and cars.

I witnessed a small twitch on his lips from the corner of my eye as he followed my thoughts. He nodded only a fraction of a degree to confirm them.

I fought an urge to hug him, which was also rare for me.

His lips twitched again.

Damn him for being able to read minds. I pursed my lips, my eyes flickering back to Emmett, who was draining the last of the bear's blood.

"It's all right, sister. You don't need to. It's the thought that counts."

I frowned. "Cheater," I sniffed.

He chuckled again.

Emmett disposed of the bear's carcass before practically skipping over to us. He was always his happiest when his thirst was sated. "How are my best guy and my best girl?"

"Fine," we both said in unison, able to put on composed expressions.

"All… right then," he said slowly, arching a quizzical brow at us. "You guys are acting kind of odd. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Edward replied. "Just discussing life."

"Life? Is that my name now?" he joked.

"Very funny," Edward said. "What is it with you both? You seem to think the world revolves around you."

Emmett laughed. "Doesn't it?" he joked back.

I forced a giggle, but I refused to say more, afraid that my voice would betray me. I thanked Edward silently for deflecting Emmett's question. My posture had grown rigid and awkward, and I felt my humiliation at the idea that Emmett knew.

Emmett gave me a warm smile, his dimples framing his lips.

The knife of guilt cut through me again. How could he smile so brightly towards me with what he knew? His warmth was infectious, and I smiled despite myself and let him take my hand and lead me home.

Now trailing behind Emmett's sight, my smile faded.

I was full of shame.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Chapter 2 of Strength and Remorse was released! To read Emmett's side of the story (in a collection of sideshots), please find the link at my profile.

If you're a pervert like me and enjoy wonderfully written smut, I highly encourage you to check out other works under the series **"Twilight After Dark".** You can find the link on my profile.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**Got Twitter? Follow me! achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	26. Chapter 25: The Question

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, and its characters, or plot. The characters, books, and plot are property of Stephenie Meyer. I make no money from writing this. I just love Twilight._

**Warning: Lemons in future chapters. Rated NC-17 for a reason. Violence, adult language, assault, and sexual content.**

Chapter specific warning: Lemon Squeezes! Sex is most surely implied in this chapter, but not in full detail.

To my beta for this chapter: cfmom, who kicks other beta's asses with her kickassedness, thank you for always pushing me to be my very best, no matter how much I might resist.

To my Mikey, who is my rock, and the best, most supportive boyfriend ever. And now my FIANCE! I love you!

To my readers, I apologize sincerely for the delay. The holidays happened, and then I got engaged, so I've been submersed in the wedding planning. It took a while for me to find Rosalie's voice and Emmett's dimples again, but now that I have, I'm glad to be back.

For those of you who have been reading V&P since the beginning, I'd like to announce that I've gone back to add and/or improve the first half of my story. Please feel free to read the newly edited versions of Chapters 1 through 9 (revisited from early as August to November).

The Playlist:

Story of the Year – Anthem of Our Dying Day

Incubus – The Warmth

Musiq Soulchild – Teach Me

Backstreet Boys – All I Have to Give

Black Eyed Peas – Meet Me Halfway

Jagged Edge – Let's Get Married

* * *

The loss of my parents was still painful, and I thought about them every day. My human memories, foggy and blurred, were becoming more and more distant as I tried to recall them day-by-day. With the exception of the events that lead to my last day as a human, my specific memories had been reduced to flashes of faded pictures. However, I was beginning to accept that part of it. I guess there was a reason for these memories to when you're a vampire because you're life inevitably moves on with your life anyway. I tried to grasp that reasoning, hoping that would help me cope with my anger for the loss of cherished memories of Richard and Anna Hale.

My mind had been a swirling mess since then, as their death reminded me of the world that I longed to be in—the human world, now a coveted dream that I desired beyond any rational thought. I caught myself daydreaming, lost in the fantasy of what could have been had I not been found by Carlisle. I imagined many scenarios, all with various and impossible endings. I contemplated the funeral I would've had if Carlisle had not found me that fateful night; with me being put to rest forever. I fantasized meeting Emmett on a chance encounter right before I was to take a walk down the aisle with Royce, running away with him to live somewhere happily ever after. But most of all, I dreamed about an alternate life away from all of this, where I could be human, and start over again, and have it end with marriage, a family and children. I desired my own child. I desired to be laid in peace, and put to rest for all of eternity.

The grief of my loss and the dissatisfaction of my life as a vampire were painful and dull, but slowly, they became secondary to another pressing issue: Emmett.

It was had been six days since Edward confessed that Emmett knew that I'd give him up to be human. Six days of knowing that he knew I'd give him up for my mortality, yet he never displayed any anger or disappointment about the issue. In fact, it didn't seem to faze him one bit. However, I found it hard however to believe that he wasn't bothered at all. I couldn't comprehend that a fact like this could be taken with a grain of salt—like it was nothing. I felt complete and utter horror to know he was aware that I even had such thoughts, especially considering how wonderful Emmett was to me.

On the other hand, I wasn't going to apologize for the way I felt. I had to be honest with myself, as well as with others and the way I felt about my state of being. I would give anything to have never been a vampire at all. It was the truth, no matter the consequence. I was who I was, and I wanted to accept it with no drawbacks. The only thing that made it somewhat embarrassing, and in turn made me remorseful was the fact that he _knew_, and I was unaware of such a fact until Edward confessed to Emmett's knowledge. In all rationality, it was silly of me to feel this way. Of course Emmett of all people would know. He had demonstrated how well he knew me, and how much he paid attention to my every move.

It didn't soften the anxiety I felt about things that were left unsaid—the knowledge that he had taken it so easily. It would have been easier to take if he demonstrated some sort of heartache or displeasure towards me, but there was absolutely no negative reaction.

For the last few days, I waited. I waited for the anger—the confrontation— any sort of reaction to indicate he wanted answers; but there was nothing—he treated me no differently than before. And that wasn't all. In my embarrassment and guilt, I had grown a bit ill at ease around him, and in turn distanced myself from him after a certain amount of time spent together. I was almost sure he was pretending to be all right with the situation—his one true love wishing she were somewhere else, and ready to bargain her life with him if she could have her wish. Being around him, I'd watch him out the corner of my eye in anxiety as I expected him to bring it up on his own. It wasn't my intention, but these last few days I had stayed away when I could. I knew that if I didn't explain things to him soon that I might make problems worse, but I was being a coward. How could I face him? How could I justify myself as worthy of his love when we both knew that I'd freely give him up to become human again?

I was sitting at my vanity after a day of hunting with him and Edward, and attempting to learn baseball with them in a rare summer storm. Emmett was very set on helping me keep my mind on off my grief, and became determined to show me new activities, hoping to spark my interest in a hobby. I tried my best to keep an open mind, forcing a smile through it at first. I played sports during gym class in high school when required, but nothing more than that. Also, I had to try to remember to be grateful for his patience and gentle manner in which he handled me barely three weeks after the death of my natural parents. However, I knew that I was mostly complying out of guilt.

To my surprise, I actually found liked baseball. It fed my competitive nature, and provided an outlet to utilize my superhuman abilities their fullest potential. It was unfortunate that such games weren't possible unless the weather allowed it. The loud thunderous crack of the ball against the bat of a vampire's swing dictated that there was no other possible time to play except during thunder storms. It was a shame, since the game almost made me forget my problems.

Almost.

During the game, I would still observe Emmett from the corner of my eyes, trying to pinpoint if he demonstrated any sign of resentment towards me, but nothing came of it. I tried to ask Edward directly, but he avoided eye contact with me for that very reason, never responding to any of the silent questions that I shot his way. It frustrated me at first, but I concluded that Edward felt he'd been in the middle too much and wanted to just stay out of it.

The three of us returned to an empty house, while Esme and Carlisle attended a dinner party with a few important members of the Lonesome Pine Hospital staff. I immediately hopped into the shower, slipping into my silk kimono afterwards, and sitting at my mirror to comb out the tangles in my hair. My face, still beautiful, looked different. I had never felt more beautiful in my life then when Emmett looked at me, but right now I looked like a girl who was… ill at ease. I wasn't used to feeling this insecure, and I hated it.

There was a light tap at my door. "Hey, can I come in?" Emmett asked, poking his head through the half opened door.

A pang of nervousness twisted in my stomach. After spending a few hours with him, I felt the need to be alone. Watching him all this afternoon was exhausting enough. I was sure he had caught onto my routine by now. Obviously, it didn't stop him from trying.

"Sure," I said, hoping my reluctance wasn't evident in my voice.

"Ey, there pretty lady," he said with a smile. "Join me for a chess match?" Though his eyes were gentle, a moment of insecurity flickered across his face.

_Damn it._

My stomach twisted uncomfortably again. He knew that after an afternoon with one another, that I wanted time to myself. He had given me that much space the past few days, attributing it to my grief. Though some of that was true, and I was clearly still mourning my parents, I knew that my guilt over how I felt about this life was the main reason. As much as I wanted to join him in anything, my mood wasn't exactly geared towards strategic thinking for a game of chess, or pretending that things were all right. I tried to keep my face as pleasant as possible. "No, I'm fine," I answered. "I'm sure Edward would want to… or maybe Carlisle when he returns home?"

"Hmm," he breathed. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Cards? We can play poker. Or maybe we could go outside and practice pitching? No using the bat of course." He watched as my face gave him a timid but disinterested smile in response. "Or even take a walk?"

"I don't know…" I mumbled, grinning apologetically. In fact, it was more like a wince.

He sighed. "Another night cooped up in your room again?" The corners of his mouth curled downwards. "C'mon, baby. I hate seein' you like this."

"Emmett—" I began, but he cut me off.

"I can't help but feel like something's wrong," he stated, another flash of insecurity crossed his godly features, sending a pang of regret to my heart. This was no surprise to me. He was bound to catch on that this wasn't about my parent's death anymore. He knelt down next to my chair, leaning his head into my face. He nuzzled his nose against my cheek, inhaling the scent of my locks of hair. "Did something happen? Did I do something?"

The heat of his breath weakened my knees. His questions, however, had a different effect. I couldn't help but speculate for a small instant he was fishing to see if I'd fess up, though I know he seemed concerned that he may have done something to upset me. Clearly he had to know I was feeling guilty. Could Edward have mentioned to him that I knew of his own knowledge into my thoughts?

I shook my head immediately. "No, you did nothing wrong." And he really didn't. I was the one with the problem. He was just so… kind. Too kind. "It's nothing."

He tilted his head, leaning down to get a good look at my face. "Baby, just tell me what has you so stressed out. Please? Is something bothering you?"

"Yes. I don't know. I—maybe." My answer was nervous and jittery, as I found myself desperately grasping for how to respond. I wasn't sure how or even if I could discuss my dilemma with him, though half of me knew that I needed to. I needed to talk to him, but I feared it as well. I was confused. As much as possible, a large part of me didn't want to shed any light on the subject, much less put it in the forefront of our conversation.

"Hmm," he pondered. "Well, maybe I can help relieve the stress for you," he offered, his voice husky, with a mischievous little twinkle in his eye.

I sighed, my face falling. I shook my head. "Emmett, be reasonable." I began to feel a bit irritated at his persistence, but I tried to calm my temper.

"I am," he urged. "We don't have to do everything. We can just work on you, and make sure you're… satisfied." I looked at his adorable face, and even though the touch of his hand on my thigh ignited a fire inside me, I was still overcome with a wave of guilt strong enough for it to consume me. "However, if you feel we _should _do _everything,_ I'm game for that, too," he continued, his voice getting raspier with every word he spoke.

I pressed my lips together. It had been well over three weeks since we were last intimate, wrecking the living room to pieces. Grief had played a great deal in my temporary distraction from sexual desire, but I was beginning to believe that remorse was starting to play a part in it as well. I leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his lips before I replied, "I'm sorry, Emmett."

His face fell, and I could have kicked myself for rejecting him. It wasn't how I wanted to treat him, but I just couldn't comprehend how he could still want to do anything with me after knowing I'd leave him to be human. "Rosalie—"

I placed my hand on his cheek, my index finger against his lips to shush him. "Baby, you should go and spend time with Edward," I suggested, in a lighthearted tone.

He made a sour face, clearly still set on his request.

Letting go of his face, I let out an exasperated sigh. "Emmett, Edward's home. We'd have no privacy. And Carlisle and Esme will be here any minute. Besides, how will we go about doing such things in the house without destroying something?"

"Hey, practice makes perfect. And Edward would understand," he pressed. "I bet if we work on it, we can learn to control our passion and not destroy anything."

I didn't reply to his persistence, hoping that my silence would be enough of a response. I looked away from him, lost in thought. In fact, mind was racing with many thoughts, far away from my bedroom. This happened a lot since our return from Rochester, my thoughts always drifting to a place I wish I was. Why couldn't I have met him when I was human? The family we would have had, the beautiful children we would have raised. I frowned suddenly. The thought would be so perfect except for one small detail. Would I have been able to push aside my materialistic aspirations long enough to recognize my soul mate in Emmett back then?

We sat in silence for a few moments as I stared past him. I felt his eyes studying my features—my demeanor. My eyes switched to his face for a moment. This was how he knew. This was how he always knew my every reaction, my every feeling. I sighed as everything came into clarity. This was how he knew that I'd leave him and all of this life to be human again. He studied me—adamantly paying the utmost attention to every detail about me.

I turned to the mirror, staring at our reflection—the beautiful blonde princess with her loving, brawny, dark-haired knight in shining armor kneeling beside her. His gaze was still fixed on my face, and my eyes were glued straight ahead at the reflection.

My Emmett.

He was always so chipper, and it baffled me. He knew I'd surrender my life with him in order to be six feet under, and yet he'd still want to touch me like he does. I didn't get his understanding nature.

His eyes followed mine, now looking at me through the mirror. "Rose," he began, "it's just that we haven't… you know… in a while. I was thinking maybe that's what you need. You've been so melancholy lately, and I'd love to help lift your spirits." He turned his head, and gazed at my face before he added, "It would certainly lift mine." His hand instinctively moved up my thigh a few inches.

I stiffened, my body reacting immediately to his touch as I moistened at my core. My mind, however, was much more composed. I took his hand and pulled it off my thigh, holding it in mine.

His nose flared. "Hmm," he murmured to me in a seductive purr, his lips against my earlobe. "That tempting scent tells me yes."

Though I shivered at the sensation of his lips against my ear, I couldn't let it happen. "Emmett," I chided, rolling my eyes.

He let out a sharp breath of frustration. "Is this about your grieving? I mean, maybe I'm pushing you too much. I don't want to push you if you're not ready."

I turned up the corners of my mouth in gratitude. "Thanks, Emmett," I muttered, squeezing his hand that held mine.

His face fell further. "I see. Look, I don't want to do that to you. It's not my intention to push you. I just… I think that maybe some physical… intimacy is what you need… to help you. I read in one of Esme's magazines that the physical contact could actually assist in softening grief—something that you dames sometimes need to help you through it. I'm really not thinking of me—honest," he said, holding his right hand up, palm forward.

I shook my head again with a pleading arch in my brow, keeping my apologetic smile on my lips.

His features suddenly shifted, to one of utter irritation. "All right, that's it," he growled. He stood up suddenly, pulling my hands as they held onto his towards my window. His brows were furrowed, the skin between them in a pucker, his face in a scowl.

"What is it?" I asked, as he yanked me onto my feet, his face frozen in that scowl, not looking at me.

My stomach filled with butterflies of uneasy dread.

He had finally snapped.

This was what I had been waiting for—the moment I had anticipated and agonized over these last few days. I'd finally pushed him to his breaking point.

"Come with me," he urged in an almost icy, flat tone as he pulled the window open, leaving one hand gripping on my arm.

I gazed at him, shocked. "Where? You know you can't leave," I reminded him.

"I can't leave the house, no, but he never said anything about sitting on top of it. Now, c'mon," he coaxed as he began climbing out the window, and scaling the house wall to the roof. His voice sounded irritated, a sound that I wasn't used to anymore.

I hadn't heard it since his early blood-crazy days, and I in turn felt uneasy. I looked down at my attire, suddenly embarrassed. Poking my head out the window, I turned up towards him. "Emmett, this is absolutely absurd. I'm barefoot and in a robe. You expect me to—"

"What are you waiting for?" he interjected, his voice forceful. He was upset, and I was suddenly alarmed. "Come on up here," he ordered. He held his hand out to help me, though I didn't need it.

Reluctantly, I followed, knowing this would come up sooner or later. My mind was split in half—one side ready for this to be over, and the other still not wanting to face him.

Effortlessly, I climbed the wall and joined him on the inclined rooftop, turning my head to follow his eyes. I gasped at the sight. The night sky was clear, all the stars like visible diamonds that were tossed in the velvety navy blue blanket above us. Beneath them were silhouettes of mountains, rolling hills, and valleys, punctuated erratically with lights of nearby towns. To my right I could make out the distinctly brighter lights of our nation's capital, only a couple of hours away. Washington, D.C. and its metropolitan area was ablaze with life. "Wow," I gasped.

Emmett snorted, unimpressed. "Never been up here before, I take it?" he asked.

"No," I replied, my eyes sweeping the perimeter of the roof. The lights from the neighboring cities danced and burned like fire in the night behind the peaks and dips of earth. It was lovely, but the scene was disrupted when my eyes fell on Emmett's posture.

"Of course not," he muttered to himself. His hands were deep in his pockets, and his body was slightly slouched. He never slouched. He stared out into the night with a straight face, the hint of the scowl still there beneath his composure. "So are you gonna tell me what's been bothering you?"

Though I knew I should speak, I answered the way I always did when confronted. "I… I don't know what you mean."

"Rose…"

My mouth opened several times to speak but I just couldn't. I just watched the slight rise and fall of his shoulders and back as he breathed; his brawny silhouette in front of me. I realized quickly that couldn't feign ignorance like I usually do when I'm confronted by someone. Emmett was much smarter than that, and knew me all too well. "I…," I began, but I didn't finish. I was too busy still trying to find my courage.

He shook his head, his eyes switching to me for a moment before turning back out into the night. "I don't want to pretend that I don't notice a change in your attitude. Something's going on."

"I don't… know what to say," I said, finally. I realized I should start by being honest.

It was a long moment of uncomfortable silence before his deep, gruff voice broke through, cutting through the night like a knife. "I feel like you keep me at arm's length. You let me hold you, but don't return my affection completely. You sit next to me but it's like you're not there."

At that moment I was thankful I couldn't see his face. Something told me his expression would have me hating myself.

"I know that your loss has hurt you," he continued. "But at some point I think… there has to be more from you… more effort. Something's wrong here, and I don't know what it is exactly, so I can't repair it."

"Emmett… Emmett, I'm… sorry." My voice was small and weak.

He sighed, shaking his head as if to shake off his thoughts. "Please, don't apologize."

"But I should…"

"Rose—I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be upset with you. I've lost people close to me before. I know how it is. And I want to give you the respect… the patience… the space. But at the same time, I'm trying my best to be accommodating to you, and lately it's like I've become a nuisance to you. I know that you're grieving, and I'm disappointed in myself for not being more understanding."

"Emmett…"

He raised his hand, palm forward, finally turning to face me. "Please, let me get this out."

I nearly crumbled as I took in his frustrated expression. He looked fed up, yet something about him amazingly still remained sweet and kind.

"I've never felt so…. _helpless _before,'' he continued. His voice was straining as he struggled to find the right words to express himself. "It's not even like the time where you were so upset with me about marking you. At least I could apologize for that, and try to make things right, because I knew what was wrong, and it was my fault. I knew it was me who had to fix it, and I knew _how_ to fix it. But this…" he shook his head, his brows furrowing together. "This is beyond my control." He walked over to the corner of the roof, looking the other direction. "I don't know how to make it better for you, Rose."

I shifted my weight on my feet, uncomfortable. I hated when I was at fault. I hated hearing what I'd been doing wrong, and how it made me feel. However, this was much worse. I was hurting Emmett far more than I had ever intended to. I had avoided him because of my guilt and embarrassment of his knowledge of my deepest desire to be human at any cost, worried that I was causing him pain. Instead, my avoidance was causing him deeper pain.

His eyes switched to me then, catching my small movement. "I'd like to know what you're thinking. You aren't talking, and it makes it all the more difficult for me to try to fix it."

I sighed, feeling my legs beginning to tremble. "It's nothing that needs fixing, not on your part at least," I offered, but I didn't elaborate much more.

He stared at me a long moment with skeptical eyes. "Is this about your brother and Janice? About the baby?"

My face twisted with pain. "No," I whispered.

"See…" he mumbled. "It's written all over your face and yet you still deny it. Why can't you admit it?"

My guilty conscious rendered me unable to speak.

"Rosalie, I'm not Edward. I can't read your mind."

I was thankful that he wasn't Edward. It was bad enough that he was this perceptive. "But you can," I finally said. "You may not literally read minds like Edward, but you can read me."

"So I'm right then?"

"Not completely," I began. "It's not exactly my brother and his soon to be wife and child. It's more… what I want—what I would give anything for. And just… the fact that you actually _know_ how I feel and what I want, yet you pretend you're okay with it."

"_Pretend?_ Who said anything about pretending? Baby, I know what it is you want… more than anything in this world. Trust me, I've always known. I saw the way you looked at your brother and his woman. And knowing how you feel about this life, it's not hard to guess. I know you want all the things being human could bring… family, children, getting older, being put to rest after living a full life. I know that." He walked toward me, his face a foot from mine. "Is that why you've been distant? Because you thought I was pretending?"

I hesitated for an instant, my mouth opening and closing several times as I tried to find the right words to articulate how I felt, and why I'd acted the way I had the last several days. "I guess I've just been… embarrassed. How can I face you after…"

"After what?"

"You said you… you said you can read it on my face." I hesitated for another moment. "Are you going to force me to say it?"

"That you'd give up everything? Trade in all of this life for your old one?"

I looked away, wanting to crawl under a rock. He spoke that fact so easily, as if it was so obvious, that it made me feel more remorseful. How could this not hurt his feelings?

"Rosalie, I know that you'd give anything to be human again. I would give you up if it meant that you could have what you wanted—a normal life." He took a step toward me, his eyes searching my face. "If it would give you your mortality again, I'd let you go."

I bore down on my teeth, staring at him incredulously. Somehow, hearing it from his mouth, turned around, hurt me worse than my thinking it myself. "You don't mean that."

"But I do."

"So you'd… you'd leave me?"

He chuckled, beginning to pace around me. "No, that's not what I said. I wouldn't leave you. I could never do that. It's not in me to leave you," he said, his eyes following me as he walked around me. "But if you wanted to go, especially to get your humanity back, I wouldn't fight you. I'd do anything to make you happy, _even_ if it was giving you up."

My stomach rolled in guilt. I began to secretly consider that I didn't deserve him, but that wasn't something I'd ever admit out loud. I was selfish enough to take it. I could apologize for how I shamelessly would leave him to be mortal again, but while in this life, there was no way I'd let him leave my side.

"I just don't understand," I said, shaking my head. "I can't comprehend as to how you could take this so easily—without any anger; without any hurt?"

"Of course it hurt," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, his eyes intent on me with loneliness. "Who wants to know that their dame would rather be somewhere else? That they would leave you to get what they wanted?"

My stomach twisted uncomfortably in reaction to his confirmation. "Emmett—"

"But I can't just be mad at you forever," he interjected. "It might've hurt for a second. It may have been painful for one tiny moment, but let's face it. It was no surprise to me that you felt that way. I knew that you see this life as a prison. It's no secret to anyone how you feel, even though you don't vocalize it often."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I just can't get past… How could you not be upset with me? How? Why aren't you disappointed? I've been waiting for almost a week to find some sort of reaction from you. I had to practically push you for it."

"Because…" he said, letting out a humorless chuckle.

"Because what?"

"Because you're _you_!" he exclaimed in a tone that gave the "of course", gesturing towards me with his large hands. "You're Rose! You don't like to be immortal. You don't want to be a vampire. You never wanted this life. I've _always_ known this. I knew this far longer than you and I have been together. You view all of this as a prison with no way out."

I gazed back at him, entranced by his awareness of me once again. This wasn't the first time that he'd shocked me, and I shouldn't feel surprised, but I could never find him more amazing than this moment.

He stared back at me, his face smoothing out into a gentle expression. "It's exactly what drew me to you."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Your reluctance for life gives me something to chase after. A hero needs a purpose. They need someone to rescue—someone to help. Not someone to pity, mind you. I never pitied you," he corrected himself. "I want to be there to rescue you, to help you break out of prison. Help you realize being a vampire isn't the big house. You were my damsel in distress, and I was that hopeless cat of a hero. Since even before I rescued you from Victor, I always knew I wanted to rescue you from whatever walls you built around yourself in your resentment in what Carlisle put you in."

I sat myself down on the roof's shingles, trying to process what he was saying. Though I'd always known it in my heart, I couldn't believe that he could love me that much, and accept me for absolutely everything I was.

"But you have to know," he continued, "I was never angry about it… nor was I pretending to be fine about things. I was never even mad at you—not about what you wanted, not about how you feel." He walked over to me, taking a seat by my side.

He kept himself faced forward instead of at me and continued. "What has me upset right now is how you've retreated from me. Your distance is what bothers me; after all I've tried to do with you. Like I said, I'm trying to be understanding during your time of mourning, but I need something to let me know I haven't totally lost you, babe. I mean, give a cat a break once in a while. It's taken all of me to not be an insensitive jerk and say something wrong to get on your bad side. I mean, your withdrawal is what's so disappointing. It makes me feel… inadequate—like I can't do anything to make it right for you."

I shook my head to myself, catching the frustration in his features. I was wretched. I turned to him and placed my hand on the side of his face, turning him to look at me. "Oh, my sweet, darling Emmett. It's not you, or anything you need to fix, or do right." I took a moment to turn my head to gaze at the aggravation of his expression further.

"You've _always _done right," I assured him. "In fact, I've been distant because I've just been so ashamed of how I feel; embarrassed and remorseful really that it could hurt you. After all you've been to me, after all you've done for me, that I could have these feelings and desires to be elsewhere. You don't know how guilty I feel, and how mad I am at my own self for it. And I don't want to feel guilty for it—for feeling that way, for wanting what I've always wanted. It's the truth, and I don't want to feel sorry for the things I want. But on the other hand, I don't want to hurt you with it."

He laughed humorlessly. "So you punish _me_ about it? Avoid me and frustrate me in the process? That doesn't exactly make any sense."

"I'm not punishing you," I corrected him. "That's not my intention at all." I sighed, giving it some thought before I spoke again. "I guess I'm… sort of… punishing myself."

He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Then stop," he said with another chuckle. "Stop torturing yourself over nothing. Being a vampire is absolute. So this trading your life to be human thing… It'll never happen, so there's no use in crying over spilled milk… or blood if that suits you better. I know it does for me." His lips twitched as he spoke, the dent of his dimples hinting in his cheeks.

I smiled but it didn't reach my eyes, with his mention of the fact that _it'll never happen_. Though I knew it would be healthier to be realistic, I was still struggling to cope with such an absolution. And above it all, I was still skeptical, still unconvinced that it was just that easy—him taking my desires so lightly.

His brows slowly arched in a pleading manner, studying my expression like he always does. "I just wish you wouldn't try to condemn yourself to misery when you can have _so much_ happiness. One silly doll, you are. Here I am trying to give you the world, yet you have to fret over something that we'll never have to worry about."

I gazed into his warm, tangerine eyes, now intent on me, and I knew he was right. "I guess I have a lot to learn," I sighed, "especially from you."

He smiled a first sincere smile, flashing his bright, perfect teeth at me. His dimples framed his plump lips. "One thing I've learned these last few months is that love ain't exactly a walk in the park, baby," he replied. "It's work. I work for it everyday." His eyes, citrine flecked with the crimson of the farmer's blood, locked with mine, searching them for something. "Won't you?"

I furrowed my brows. "Won't I?"

"Work for us," he completed my question. "It's the only thing I ask of you. What I need from you is to work with me. This life has a million possibilities. And I promise you that I accept you for all that you are. Your faults make you who you are: what you love, what you want, what makes you happy." His hands slipped from my shoulders up to either side of my face. "You and I, we have a long life ahead of us. Help me make it a good one."

His large, puppy-dog eyes, soft tangerine pools of unselfishness, stared back at me as he awaited my response, and immediately I was heartened. "Of course I'll work with you, Emmett."

He pressed his lips against mine, soft, but deliberate. He pulled away to lock his gaze with mine once more.

I beamed at him. "You're wonderful," I whispered. "Thank you for just wanting to fix things, even though it's not your job to do that."

"Hey," he breathed. "It's what I do." He secured his arm around my frame, and though he smiled, his eyes were still slightly troubled, as if he wasn't completely convinced that I'd let everything go.

Hours later, Esme and Carlisle had returned home, and we were back in the house. I decided to nurse my obsessive-compulsive disorder by rearranging my armoire and my closet. However, Emmett's face with the apprehensive look in his eyes was a repetitive picture in my mind. When I was done folding the last silk scarf in my armoire, I decided it was time for a grand gesture.

But what could I do?

As I knelt in my closet to arrange my shoes, I considered this further. Emmett was worth so much more than what I'd displayed these last few days. I'd been too blinded by the guilt that I felt to be completely considerate and grateful to him—and I really needed to show him how much he meant to me. I mulled over ways to convince him as I categorized my footwear.

The best choice was one inspired by Emmett himself. I could hear Emmett in his room two doors down from me, and I thought there was no time like the present. I zoomed quietly down the stairs, stepping out of the back door and into our yard. I studied the back of the house and identified his window immediately before scaling the wall, wrapping lightly on his windowpane.

Startled, his head flinched when he looked to see me smiling on the other side of the windowsill. He slid the window open with a smirk on his face. "Hey, hey, pretty lady. Fancy meeting you here," he greeted me, his eyes full of mischievous delight. He must have sensed how awkward and uncomfortable it was for me to hang off the wall as I waited to gain entrance into his room. "You could always use the door, you know," he said, imitating my tone when I'd said that to him once before. Clearly, he was stalling.

"I figured I'd try to come in the way you do," I answered, impatiently motioning with my body that I wanted to hop in.

"What makes you think I'd let you?" he teased, clearly enjoying himself.

I grunted. "Emmett," I chided. "Let me in."

He let out an exaggerated sigh, jokingly. "All right," he chuckled and stepped aside, holding his hand out like a gentleman.

I took his hand and hopped in, my eyes sweeping the perimeter of his room, completely curious. It was never proper for me to be here, considering we weren't married. As a proper young lady of society, I'd never allowed myself to step past his bedroom door, much less a good look of his living quarters.

I made note of all the details. With the help of Esme's design sense, he had chosen burgundy, gold, and ivory for his room. The furniture was standard Cullen-style, with the deep mahogany wood. He had sports paraphernalia everywhere, with action books, a deck of cards sitting on his nightstand, as well as some jacks and a ball.

"Oh, that's right. You've never been in here," he realized, as he took note of my blatant observation and current fascination with his private space.

I shook my head wordlessly as I stepped over to a shelf that displayed a baseball card collection. "When did you start this?" He had all the Major League Baseball greats lined up on little stands from the last five years.

"Some of them are from my human days," he explained, softly as he stood behind me. "They were in my pocket when you found me. Others I had Edward find or trade for me, since I'm not allowed to go and do those things for myself."

I turned to him with a grin on my face. "I see."

He smiled back, but he looked a bit confused. "Aren't you not supposed to be in here?" he asked.

"Well, there was never any _said_ rule," I replied. "I just didn't want to be improper and frowned upon. An unmarried girl in a boy's room—certainly forbidden."

He bit his lip suggestively as I said my last phrase. "Mmhmm," was all he said, but that sound proposed a million naughty little possibilities. "We sure are behaving badly tonight."

I felt a tingle in my body at the thought, but I composed my face, and raised my chin in response. I narrowed my eyes, a smile playing at my lips. "No, _you _need to behave," I instructed him.

"I'll do my best," he breathed, but his voice was husky. He was able to shake himself out of his lustful trance as I began to read the titles of the books he kept in his room: all in the genre of mystery, suspense, war, and heroic tales. "But really, what are you doing in here?" he pressed, curious.

I smiled coyly. "I know that I gave you my word that I'd work with you and try to see the best in life like you want me to, but you didn't seem… persuaded."

"No, I believe you," he replied, his brow arching quizzically at me.

I pressed my own brows together in doubt. "Do you?"

He sighed, his face smoothing over to one of hesitation. "Well, that doesn't exactly fix everything right away. I just… I felt like I was losing you one moment, and it was hard to completely overcome that feeling."

"So you're completely convinced that I'm going to make an effort towards us? Without a doubt? With no need of any other assurances?"

"Well if you're suggesting you'd like to_ assure_ me right now, my room is the perfect place to do it," he chortled stepping before me and wrapping his arms around my waist. His eyebrows wiggled suggestively.

"Emmett," I dissuaded, pulling away, but chuckling despite myself. "Be serious. I want to make sure that you know I meant what I said."

He straightened his face immediately. "It's not that I don't believe you. I just worry that you might mean it for a little bit, and then you'd eventually fall back into that routine… and at some point I can't help you, Rose. It's something you've got to do for yourself."

I placed my hand on his cheek running my finger on his skin and tracing the dimple that dented slightly as his mouth frowned a bit at his thoughts. "Baby, I know. And I'm going to work on it. I promise."

"Do you?" he asked, his eyes full of hope. "Because I've missed this. I know it's only been a few days of your estranged attitude, but I've missed us in even that short of time. I've hated the way things have been."

I encased his face into both my hands—his time, my thumbs gently caressing his skin. "I know. I've missed us, too. And I'm so sorry… so sorry for the way I've treated you. If anything I should have reacted the exact opposite. I should be grateful towards your acceptance of me, and all my shortcomings." I took a huge breath at my next thought. Without thinking, I blurted, "I honestly wonder sometimes if I'm… worthy of you." I managed to mumble the last two words hesitantly, unable to look him in the eye.

So much for never admitting it out loud, but this was Emmett. He knew me inside and out. There were no secrets when it came to him.

He stepped forward, closing the distance between us and leaning his forehead onto mine. "Hey, silly. That's not true at all. You may be the most impossible, stubborn broad I know. But what's crazy is that you give my life direction. You give me a purpose. It's a two way street. I may accept your pitfalls, and work hard to make you happy, but without you, my lust for life wouldn't have a path. It's taken on a very defined route since I've known you, and I _love_ that feeling." His hand reached up to my cheek, the pad of his fingers caressing my skin.

I popped my head up at his response, and my heart swelled with warmth and relief. I was positively elated hearing what he had to say, and he'd never told me anything about that before. I gave Emmett direction in his life—served him for a greater purpose—and he loved it. "I love you," I breathed, without thinking.

His eyes softened immediately. "I love you, too."

I threw my arms around his burly frame, rubbing my face against his chest, the ridges of his muscles felt through the thin cotton of his shirt.

I heard him breathe a sigh of relief as his arms raised to return my embrace.

"Please don't ever think that you're not worthy of me," he muttered. "You're worth every breath that I take in trying to win you over."

Overcome with gratitude, I turned my head up and crashed my lips into his, finding his cinnamon-sweet succulence, and immediately becoming rewarded with his eager compliance. We moved against each other eagerly. He pulled my lower lip between his teeth, sucking on it lightly as I ran my fingers through his dark locks. His hands, resting on my ribcage ran up my sides and cupped around the gentle weight of my breasts.

I gasped in his mouth, un-tucking his shirt and slipping my hands beneath the fabric. I ran my nails along the silky smooth skin of his muscular back as I felt his mouth leave mine, beginning a trail down my neck.

"Emmett," I mumbled, my breathing labored.

"I know," he whispered. "Not here," he said, and he edged us over to the open window that I had climbed into, scooping me into his arms before he hopped out into the yard.

He landed on his feet softly, setting me down on the grass. From there, he led me into a secluded area of our estate, just behind Esme's rose garden. He smiled coyly as he picked me up, swinging my legs into his arms before placing me on my back on the grass. I realized he'd scoped this particular area lately for such an occasion. He knelt down and positioned himself on me, his delicious weight against my eager body. I took his face into my hands, my fingers following the contour of his square jaw, and he leaned in to kiss me feverishly. I eagerly complied.

We figured we wouldn't be breaking the rules on Emmett's house arrest if we stayed on Cullen property. We were barely cognizant of the fact that our family never left the confines of our home, knowing they could hear what we were doing from indoors, but we didn't care. I cared about nothing as he moved above me or I rode him while the blue moonlight cast across our skin. There, beneath the stars, on our lawn, I finally made passionate love to Emmett, sealing my assurances that this would be the start of something new for us.

****

I'd spend a month never leaving his side. The summer was the best summer I'd ever spent in all my life, regardless of the loss of my human parents. Emmett and I were joined at the hip. I wouldn't dare leave but for a second unless he ordered me away, which he never did. Emmett found many new things for us to do to keep me distracted. He was bound and determined for me to see the endless possibilities and joys that a vampire life could offer.

This particular evening, he decided on cliff diving. We were somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the northern tip of Virginia, right outside of Pennsylvania. I glanced below at the lake, which sat at the bottom of the cliff I stood on, in my bathing suit with Emmett by my side. Edward had just done a graceful dive down into the water, and I was to follow.

As I stood on the edge, I contemplated my talk with Carlisle earlier that day. Esme and Edward took Emmett on a road trip to hunt for new animals down south. Since Carlisle had accompanied me on a hunt the day before, I found no need to come along, and I figured it would be good for him to spend time with other members of the family… part of my newfound acceptance to my life. I found it strange that they took the car, but it gave me great quality time with Carlisle.

He and I decided on a few games of chess before settling down in front of the radio to listen to some programs. As he switched through the channels, he had decided to give me a heart to heart.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Carlisle had said, his voice soft.

"Sure. What is it?"

"We're all terribly sorry for the loss of your parents," he had begun. "I knew of your father through my peers and met him a couple times at functions. He was a great man. And I want you to know that I would never dream about taking his place in your heart. Richard Hale was a truly wonderful soul, and I could never fill his shoes."

I was quiet, looking down at my hands. My father's face, with the same violet-blue eyes, had popped into my head. My heart felt a pang of loneliness at the hazy mental picture.

"With that said, I'd like to stand in as a substitute," he had offered. "Esme and I, it's no secret that we want children of our own. We are making the best out of what we can with you, and Edward, and Emmett. I know we can't offer much, especially since you kids are steps away from being adults, and probably don't need us. And we don't expect anything in return either. Please don't think of me as trying to step on anyone's toes. I know that you don't exactly enjoy being a vampire, and maybe you harbor ill feelings towards me for it; I'm not sure."

I had shaken my head vigorously at his last statement, feeling a bit horrible that he'd think that.

"However," Carlisle had continued, "I'd like to be a father figure in your life, if you'll let me. I would love to stand in and be your guardian, and for you to feel free to regard me as maybe even a second father, for as long as you'll have me."

Guilt washed over me at that moment. "Oh, Carlisle," I had said. "I've never felt any resentment towards you directly. I know why you did this, and to be honest, no one could have been a better creator or caregiver to me than you. I may not like this life, it's true, but I don't blame you for it. I know your heart was in the right place." I lifted my hand to touch on his arm reassuringly. "It always is."

He then smiled with a slight hint of relief in his handsome features. "That's good to know. I know it took a long time for you to accept us as family and I hope with your loss, that you haven't lost any of that for us."

I looked at him with reverence and sincerity. "If there was anyone I would choose to be my father, second to my own, it would be you, Carlisle. There's no doubt about that."

He sighed in relief. He then held his arms out to me and I gladly stepped in to give him a hug. "Esme and I are always here for you," he had said. "We really love you. I cherish you as my daughter. I want to be there for you to lean on when you need someone—maybe even escort you down the aisle, if and when you ever marry Emmett."

I had then pulled away, looking at him with surprised eyes. It was strange to hear it from him, this being the first time he'd ever brought up the possibility of me and Emmett getting married. Though in this time, a woman of my age would marry, it shouldn't be such a surprise hearing it from Carlisle. In his time, I would've been married at fifteen, and by now had all my children. Marrying Emmett, of course, had crossed my mind a million times, but I wasn't sure how two teenage vampires would look getting married in this society, especially ones from the same household.

"Is that you applying for the job?" I joked. It was a nice thought, but Emmett had never mentioned marriage to me, nor would I have the pride to bring it up myself.

"Yes, I guess I am," Carlisle had chuckled lightly.

I had suddenly imagined myself in a gorgeous flowing gown, on Carlisle's arm and Emmett's dimple-framed smile at the end of the aisle. If I didn't know any better, I thought I had felt my frozen heart flutter. "I'd be honored to have you escort me," I responded, "if it ever happens."

"If it ever happens," he had agreed, with a subdued amusement in his tone.

I smiled at the memory of that conversation, despite my nerves, my feet finding the edge of the cliff that I now stood on with my toes. Carlisle had eased my reservations about trying such a new sport all that day until they returned. I should actually be all right with the idea of jumping off a cliff by now, but at that moment, standing there with Emmett, I still had my qualms.

I felt Emmett move to stand behind me, looping his arms through mine so that he'd have them wrapped around my waist. I felt a moment of his warm breath on the side of my face before his lips pressed against my right cheek. I shivered in response. "I promise you, this will be fun," he whispered.

I nodded, but I wasn't completely swayed. Though I knew my immortal body was capable of surviving and mastering such a jump, I would never try this on my own if I didn't have to. Without Emmett's enthusiasm or encouragement, I would find it a frivolous past time at most.

"I'll follow you right after," Emmett reassured me. "The best jump is the first. Trust me. Edward and I did this the other day. It was amazing."

I nodded, giving him a small but apprehensive grin. "Okay," I breathed, and he stepped back to let me go. I took in a sharp breath before effortlessly propelling myself into the air. I let out a combination of a scream and a laugh as my stomach filled with butterflies during the fall.

The jump was terrifying at first, but somewhere in the middle, it felt exhilarating, and most of all, liberating. I'd never felt so free, and somehow, it solidified my promise to Emmett that I would try to begin to see what great things this second life had to offer. I guess I could view it as sort of letting go of my inhibitions—letting go of my insecurities, my doubt, my shame, my anger. I was beginning to see possibilities in this life, even though my desire for mortality was still somewhere buried in my heart. I was beginning to see that my wish could be easily overshadowed if I concentrated on the wonderful bliss of my life with Emmett.

I plunged into the water head first, diving into the deepest point before maneuvering myself to the surface of the water. I moved my arms slowly, looking upwards on the cliff where he stood, ready to take his jump. I was eager to watch Emmett's turn.

"Here I come!" I heard his booming voice bellow from the top. He took an intentionally less graceful leap into the air. His fall seemed to take forever, and he hollered the whole way down. I couldn't help but laugh at the fun he was having. He belly-flopped into the water, causing a wave as large as a wall of water to push away around him, and I dipped my head into the lake to find him. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Totally unnecessary, Emmett," Edward complained, playfully.

I poked my head up above water level at the mention of his name, but he wasn't anywhere above water level. Edward was on the other side of the lake, shaking the water out of his ears as he laughed.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands hand grip my legs, and before I knew it, I was sent up flying into the air and back down again. I squealed. Emmett had tossed me out of the water from below me, only for me to land in it again. I kicked for the surface, laughing as I pushed my head out into the air.

"Couldn't find me, could ya?" he teased, and I could hear Edward guffaw in the background.

I cupped my hand and splashed him with a wave of water. "Don't do that to me again!" I demanded, splashing another large amount of water at his face.

"Oh, is that how you want to play?" Emmett countered, his face full of underlying monkey business.

He chortled and fooled around with me, tossing water at each other before he disappeared again under the surface of the lake, only to grab me from underneath and send me up like a canon again into the air and back into the water. I laughed harder than I had laughed in a long while. I needed it, and I was grateful to him for giving me that opportunity.

It wasn't long before I decided it was time for me to jump again. I realized that I happened to love it. I ran up the hill, positioning myself the cliff before doing a triple somersault in the air. I crashed into the water, head and hands first.

"Woo-hoo! Swell dive, babe," I heard him cheer on.

Emmett followed, jumping down in an even crazier display of acrobatics, and Edward did the same. Suddenly, I was overcome by my competitive nature, running after them, each one of us taking turns after the other with more complicated jumps. This continued on for a while, all of us trying to out-do the other, diving in the night.

After a few hours of such a competition, Emmett walked up to the top with me. He stood at the cliff at my side, taking hold of my hand. It was something he hadn't done yet.

"Emmett?" I asked turning up at him, a bit confused.

He smiled down at me. "We do this one together, all right?"

I felt my frozen heart flutter as he beamed at me with those gorgeous dimples on that chiseled face of his. It was a small gesture, but one with a grand meaning. I gazed at him with softened eyes. "All right," I nodded.

He slipped his hand further into mine, intertwining our fingers. "On the count of three okay," he prompted. "One… Two…. Three," and with that, we simply stepped into the air in front of us.

I shrieked as we both fell. This dive felt different, but in a lot of ways better than any other time I fell. I felt the security of his grasp on my hand the whole way down. I felt freedom from all negative aspects of this life, without any fear. He never let go of my hand as we submersed into the water. It was impossible to fear anything with the comfort of a man like Emmett by my side, willing to take giant leaps with me. The night of fun was over after that jump, Edward already heading to land to put on his trousers. As we dried ourselves with the towels we packed and dressed in our dry wear, the symbolism of such a jump stuck with me. Emmett was right about diving. He could not have suggested a better past time, and I was once again forever grateful

That next morning Edward agreed to help me find and purchase Emmett's books while Emmett sat at home with Esme. It was August 21st, 1936, and though I'd made note of the date, I didn't realize the significance of it until much later that day. It was three days until the start of our first semester in college. We perused the aisles of the campus bookstore, trying to match the book titles and assigned professors to the professors on our schedules.

"So will you be hunting with him today?" Edward asked me suddenly, picking up a Calculus textbook.

"Probably," I answered. "Why? Will you be our babysitter?" I couldn't hide the sarcasm in my question. The supervised hunts were getting old quickly.

He shot me a defensive glare. "No, actually. Carlisle is lifting the order for house arrest."

My expression grew to one of confusion and surprise, as his face turned smug.

"Is he?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "Huh. Funny, I spent all day with him yesterday. He didn't mention that. Why didn't he? And why the sudden change of mind?"

"Good behavior," Edward muttered, matter-of-factly, picking out two composition books. "Emmett exercised quite a bit of constraint when he went to Rochester, as well as just lately in general. It showed that if he concentrated hard enough, he could restrain from killing people. Plus, since school is coming up, Carlisle realized he has to start trusting Emmett sometime."

"Okay, then… Why are you here with me and not Emmett?"

He chuckled. "Well, Carlisle wants to wait an exact year from the date of his change—September 5th—for him to be released into the human world. It'll just be better that way. A full year gives peace of mind—to Carlisle, to Emmett, to all of us actually."

"I see," I replied nodding my head. I was a bit disturbed that I wasn't informed of such a decision. Finding his curiosity about our hunting plans odd and random, I studied Edward's nondescript expression. Though his face was composed, I felt as if there was an underlying reason to his question. "Well, why do you care if I'll go hunting with him today or not?"

"I don't really," he said, immediately stiffening and taking the defensive once again. "Just trying to make conversation. I was also curious if I'd need to take him hunting myself, but if you are, then my afternoon is free."

By the time Edward was done with his sentence, I realized I didn't care, and had gone back to reading Emmett's schedule. I found comfort in the fact that for every class I didn't share with him, Edward did. All we had to do was purchase double the books of those courses with Emmett.

A few hours later I followed Emmett as he tracked the scent of some bobcats in nearby West Virginia. We chose to do a little sight seeing, climbing a tree on a mountain with a fantastic view of the nearby areas. I perched myself on a branch as Emmett did somersaults and back-flips off of the branches nearby.

I watched him with very fond eyes. Not only was the backdrop of close to three states worth of landscape lovely, but the acrobatics of the Herculean vampire was sure to keep me entertained for hours. "Show off," I muttered, playfully.

At that moment he did an aerial off of a branch above me to another one near where I sat. "Admit it, babe. You like it."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile played at my lips as I twirled a golden lock of my hair in my fingers. "Well, what I must admit is you couldn't have chosen a better tree. The view is fantastic."

"Eh, it is, I guess," he sighed.

"You guess?" I asked, turning to him, and catching him watching me intently. "I think I see clear across three states from this height."

His expression wasn't swayed. "Sure you can, but no, not really fantastic. Not compared to my view," he whispered, his sight aimed at me. I saw my reflection in is eyes, the setting orange sun kissing off my golden hair, and my eyes just as gold. I was only sporting a no-name cotton day dress, but even in its drab fabric, I still looked stunning.

Nothing, however, compared to the man before me. The corner of his lip curled into a half smile, his dimple gracing his cheek, and to my vain surprise, it took me a moment to realize he was talking about me.

His facial expression, however, sent my heart soaring, and even seated, my knees seemed to turn to gelatin. I narrowed my eyes, smirking. "No fair."

He shot me a puzzled look. "What?"

"How do you do that?"

He cocked his head to the side, still puzzled. "Do what?"

I sighed. He had to know. "Your smile. That_ look_. I feel like you don't play fair when you do that to me."

"Oh, you like that, do you?" he said, giving an exaggerated half smile.

I waved my hand dismissively in his direction. "Ha, now you're trying too hard."

He chuckled. "Got any room for more?" he asked, gazing over my shoulder onto my branch.

I grinned. "Of course."

"Aces," he exclaimed, swinging his legs around so that he landed to sit next to me.

Emmett leaned in immediately to brush his luscious lips against mine. He pulled away, gazing at me with an instant of apprehension. It almost looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. Something was strange about him in that moment, something uneasy, but I couldn't place it. His expression changed to one of slight disappointment. Breaking away suddenly, he said, "We should go."

"Are you all right?" I asked, cocking my head to the side and leaning in to take a better look at his expression..

"Yeah. Never been better," he mumbled, trying to sound like his usual upbeat self, but I wasn't truly convinced.

I nodded anyway, following him as he scurried down the tree. Out of curiosity, I glanced at his face, which had now turned into one of deep contemplation. It seemed he was pondering something.

"Are you sure you're all right?" I pressed. "You seem to be bothered by something."

He shook his head, still lost in thought as we descended the tree, leaving me to think that I should leave it alone.

"Ever thought of going to Africa?" he asked suddenly, as we neared the ground.

I wrinkled my nose at such a random question, turning my head upward to look at him climbing down above me. "Africa? What's there to do in Africa?"

"Hunt! You realize what kind of game they have? I was reading it in a National Geographic the other day. Zebras, gorillas, lions, elephants, cheetahs, gazelles, giraffes… the possibilities are … mouthwatering. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Rose, just think—you and me on a safari. Promise me you'll go with me sometime."

We had reached the ground then. I shook my head as I dusted my hands free of any pieces of leaves, branches, and bark. "Blood," I muttered turning in the direction home.  
"Always thinking about blood. You and your thirst."

He chortled. "Is that a 'no'?"

"I don't know, Emmett," I sighed, walking ahead of him as I felt him following me. This wasn't his first crazy idea for our future together. He was all about dreaming up new ways to enjoy our time. Though I appreciated his ideas, some of them were a bit far fetched for reality—at least for now.

"It wouldn't be permanent," he persisted in an excited, hopeful tone, taking large steps to catch up to me. "It would be like… just for a year or two, and we can rejoin with the family afterwards. I think it would be snazzy."

His excitement had me amused despite my speculation. "We'll talk about it another time, Emmett," I promised, laughing a bit at his infectious enthusiasm.

"So you won't go to Africa with me?" he insisted, slowing his pace considerably.

"Ugh, Emmett, I don't know," I groaned, becoming irritated with him. I kept walking, but I slowed as I heard his footsteps silence behind me.

"Hmm. Well, maybe you'll agree to marry me instead?"

I halted in my step. Did he just say what I think he said? I turned around slowly as I asked, "What was that?"

I gasped as my eyes met his, like warm honey. They had slowly transitioned to gold in the past month, with only the slightest trace of tangerine on the rims of his irises. They were full of hope and nerves, as they gazed upon me through the umbrella of his thick lashes. He was on one knee, with his head turned up to look at me.

He chuckled nervously. "I was gonna do this in the tree, but then I realized there's no place for me to get down on my knee up there, so I had to squash that idea."

"Emmett…" I began, but I was utterly speechless. It suddenly made sense to me why Edward had asked if I was going to go hunting with Emmett earlier today, or Carlisle's mention of escorting me down the aisle when I one day get married. Emmett had shared his plan with them.

Emmett took a deep breath before he began to speak again. "I know that you're not satisfied with this life—I know that. I know that you feel like you've been imprisoned in some endless… hell. But I want you to know that if this is hell, I'd gladly spend it with you, my angel, by my side forever. I would gladly spend the rest of eternity making this hell—our hell—a rightful heaven for you. I want the rest of our life as a chance to make you happy."

It felt like my eyes were stinging, and though they couldn't swell with tears, they would if it were possible. My hand instinctively traveled to cup over my mouth.

"To spare you a bison time and time again," Emmett continued, his voice apprehensive but gentle. "To provide you with a mirror when you need it. An audience when you play your music. Maybe win a car for you in a hotrod race one day. Anything. This life might not be what you always wanted, Rosalie, but it is our life… And I'll be damned if you don't let me show you all the ways it could be a good life, Rosie."

He reached into his pocket, and my gaze immediately fixed on something shiny between his forefinger and thumb before he held it before me. "So, Rosalie Lillian Hale… will you marry me?"

* * *

I'm terribly sorry for the long wait on this chapter. We had to move out of our house right before the holidays, and then I got engaged to a wonderful man during Christmas. I then had issues finding Rosalie's voice again in my head, as well as Emmett's adorable dimples. Wedding planning has got the best of me lately.

And just so everyone knows, no I didn't plan on Emmett proposing to Rosalie just because it happened to me. It was part of the original outline for this chapter, and a funny but happy coincidence!

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	27. Chapter 26: Vows

Chapter Specific Warning: Sex is implied, but no full lemons today. A lemon squeeze, but nothing major. It's all decidedly lighthearted, materialistic fun. Happy reading!

Playlist:

Klymaxx - I'd Still Say Yes

Eric Benet and Tamia - Spend My Life with You

Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply

Bryan McKnight - Love of My Life

Shania Twain - From This Moment

Luther Vandross - Here and Now

* * *

**Chapter 25: Vows**

My feet were welded to the ground, but my knees had weakened at this sudden question, one that I had been waiting for these last few months—almost a year—that I'd known him. Every instance I shared with him flashed before my eyes. All those months that I waited for him to come around had finally culminated down to this very moment.

"Well?" he questioned again, impatiently. "Are you gonna give me an answer?"

I laughed, pulling my hand from covering my mouth. My fingers were trembling, and I held my hands together to keep the quivering from traveling to the rest of my body. "Yes," I breathed. "Yes, I'll marry you."

He stood up and walked over to me, taking my left hand into his. He opened up his other hand, palm up, with a ring in its center. I did a double take, my eyes analyzing the peculiar shape of it. Making a sudden movement as fast as lightning, he held it between his thumb and forefinger. "I forged a ring out of this piece of gold I found with my own hands," he said proudly,

And it looked exactly like that.

The ring was lumpy and rather… crooked. I struggled to keep my face serene before I gave a weak, compulsory smile. I felt a sudden pang of guilt, but in my own nature, I was selfish enough to mind the homemade ring. "Hmm," I breathed, desperately searching for a word to describe it. "Very… organic."

"Thanks! I'm rather proud of it myself," he gushed, his face happily beaming as he peered at me through the hole of the ring before he slipped it along my slender finger.

I nodded quietly, still holding the forced smile on my face, and raising my eyebrows with conscious effort. I wanted to hide any true reaction to the oddly and somewhat deformed piece of jewelry as much as I could.

"You don't like it?" he asked, a touch of disappointment in his voice.

My stomach rolled with guilt. It was quite strange, but I also caught a slight tone of amusement in his question, but I ignored it.

He was so adorable and I loved him enough, that I knew this shouldn't be an issue. I was rather disappointed, but more in myself than I was in the ring. "No," I denied, "it's... it's nice." I turned my back on him to inspect the ring further.

Who was I kidding?

I had turned my back on him to hide the grimace threatening to emerge on my lips. I felt horrible that I had to oblige myself to like the ring he gave me during such a wonderful moment, a ring that he apparently made with his own hands.

"Well, will this work instead?" I heard him ask and I turned around to find him on one knee again. His mischievous smirk set off the dimples that I was now forever bound to as he shoved his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a small octagonal-shaped, wooden box. He slowly opened the small, antique box and I about fell over as I saw what sat inside.

It contained the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen.

I had studied jewelry during my preparations for my wedding with Royce as he took me to a jeweler to choose my own engagement ring, and then again when we chose our wedding bands. Coupled with my heightened vampire sight and visual analytic abilities, my expertise in diamonds and precious metals served me well.

It was about a half-carat, round mine-cut diamond, bezel set at the center of an Edwardian-style, filigree band. In a matter of seconds, my eyes conducted an analysis of the ring. The way the light bent on the white metal of the setting led me to believe it was platinum. The shoulders were highlighted with diamond-studded flowers and a dazzling filigree design—no doubt hand engraved. The romantic design was intriguing from every angle, with hand-wrought mounting.

My hand had instinctively covered my mouth in response to the beauty of this antique piece. The dust, dirt, and brown tarnish on the crevices of the ring, as well as the style, were indicative that the ring was at least forty years old.

"Emmett," I gasped, unable to say anything else. I was rendered speechless, completely stunned at its magnificence.

"My Pappy asked for Nana's hand with this ring," he explained quietly. "She never gave it to my father when he asked for my mother's hand because she didn't approve of him… which is why she still had it in her late years. She gave it to me when she was on her deathbed. It's possibly been in my Pappy's family another generation or two, but I'm not sure."

My head popped up from looking at the diamond to looking at him in shock, dropping my hand from my mouth. "You… you had this on you when you were mauled by the bear?" I asked, completely confused.

"No. Not exactly. I hid it in the floorboards of my tree house at home. Her request was to hide it from my stepmother and my father. Edward, Esme, and I drove there yesterday. Carlisle wouldn't let me go to the McCarty house alone. Esme stayed in the car with me while I mentally fed Edward the location of my Nana's jewelry box."

I looked back down at the gorgeous piece of jewelry as it sat nestled securely in the box. I touched it gingerly with my fingers, as if it wasn't worthy of my hand.

His head cocked to the side as he studied my dazed expression, his grin growing wider into a huge cheeky smile. He grabbed my hand with his free one and pulled it towards him. "Marry me, Rose," he breathed. "Please make me the happiest man on this planet… for all of eternity."

I nodded wordlessly, a sob erupting from my gut as my face contorted into an ugly mess while I was trying to fight my crying.

"Rosalie," he said getting up from his knee. "Say it, baby. Tell me out loud. Will you marry me?"

I tried to smile with my trembling lips. "Yes," I choked. "I'll marry you. I said yes five minutes ago, and I'll say yes over and over again."

He slipped the gorgeous ring on my finger, getting on his feet. His hands were immediately on either side of my face, pulling me to his face before his lips pressed against mine.

I kissed him back gingerly before I pulled away, completely overwhelmed by what had just happened, completely euphoric. My eyes swept the perimeter around us, before they rested again on my ring sparkling in the sunlight, just as my skin did. My eyes flew past it, focusing instead on my no-name dress. Aware of my less-than-ideal attire, I frowned.

"You look a bit disappointed," he noted as he studied me like he so often does. "What's wrong? Do you not like it?"

"No," I insisted, shaking my head vigorously. "Not at all, I love the ring."

"Then why the long face?"

I looked down at my drab day dress, running my hands along its hem before looking back up at him sheepishly. "I just kind of wish I was dressed better for the occasion," I admitted.

He fell into a fit of laugher, and almost immediately he picked me up by my sides and swung me around in the air, as he twirled in a circle. I chuckled in response easily, amazed that I was able to laugh at myself so carelessly now.

"We're getting married!" he exclaimed, his deep voice penetrating the surrounding forests, hills, and trees.

We both laughed, and he set me down to place me gently back on my feet.

He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me flush against him, pressing his lips against mine. I happily obliged, running my fingers along the sides of his torso as our mouths wrestled each other for dominance.

His mouth left mine, kissing its way over to my ear. "I know how we can fix the situation about your dress," he growled, before taking my earlobe into his mouth. "Getting rid of it."

"Emmett," I giggled, "we need to get home. We have to tell everyone."

He didn't listen.

In lightening speed, he'd unbuttoned my dress letting it flutter to my ankles, leaving me with just a slip, panties, and a brassiere on. He pushed me against the trunk of the nearest tree, falling quickly to his knees and hiking the skirt of my slip up over his head.

He slipped off my silk shorts, and I gasped with surprised pleasure as he buried his mouth between my thighs.

I didn't argue with him any further.

***

It was now the middle of September. We'd been in school for three weeks—Emmett's second week at a normal, "human" life. Carlisle insisted in his absence in school the first week, given the anniversary of his transformation wasn't until late the first week of September. He'd been doing surprisingly well among the humans—as good as could be expected.

We ensured that he hunted daily; trying to appease his thirst and decrease any temptations he may have during the day. Some days were easy, while other days were not. The more difficult days were peppered through out the last couple of weeks. This day was exceptionally hard for him.

I caught my reflection in the window of the classroom door, checking my hair, before I looked down at my left hand. I studied my ring on my finger as I walked out of my classroom. I was eagerly awaiting the wedding. Plans were set into motion the moment we returned home after the proposal. Esme was immediately at my side while I made arrangements for a lavish wedding in Appalachia in December, for the first Saturday after our final exams.

However, there were small challenges we needed to overcome before that day—Emmett's thirst being one of them. It was a challenge in itself, one that took priority over my hair, the flowers, or the pending nuptials.

As I walked to my next class, Emmett joined me. Edward passed us, headed the other direction to Biology.

_How's he doing?_ I asked Edward, silently.

Edward faintly shook his head, but kept his face composed, trying to disguise our exchange from Emmett.

I tried desperately to hide my concern as I smiled at Emmett when his eyes switched to me. "Hey there, fiancé," I greeted him as cheerfully as I could.

"Hey," he said quickly, and I immediately recognized that he was holding his breath, presumably to avoid the scent of human blood.

I hooked my arm into his, jerking it encouragingly down the direction of the corridor to our next class.

The day was unusually hot for this time in September, and we felt the heat as we stepped into the room. Although most climates were tolerable for our kind, our classmates and professors were less able to acclimate to the sweltering heat. Fans were blowing in every classroom, the cool air blowing the scent of humans closer to us than what would be ideal.

My eyes switched over to Emmett as we took our seats in Calculus I. It seemed things were okay as he pulled out his notebook and opened up his textbook to the page on the chalkboard.

I smiled to myself, and did the same with my own books, hopeful that maybe this class would be easy on his control.

I heard giggling as more students filed into the classroom, and realized I was wrong; this class wouldn't be an easy one. A group of plain looking girls walked by, snickering on their way to their desks. It was just an ordinary thing, but with such an event brought a stir in Emmett. Their scent got caught in the wind of the fan blowing in our direction, and immediately, I knew that would be the end.

I heard a groan from beside me, and turned to look at its direction. Emmett sat uneasily at his desk. He seemed insecure, and hardly composed. He had his hand gripping the corner of the desk, and I immediately heard a crushing noise, too small for any of the other students or professor to detect. My ears picked up a slight crunch from his direction. My eyes followed his hand. He had broken off a piece of the wood with his fingers.

His anxious eyes switched to me then, and I made a motion of my hands for him to throw the wood against the wall quick enough that the other students wouldn't see.

"Good morning, students," Professor Dotson's voice cut through our exchange. "I trust that you had a good night's sleep, so let's get right to it. Today we will start with the First Derivative Test. We will be graphing this also by hand, so you can actually see what the function means visually."

Emmett groaned again as a rotating fan swung our way. Spotting that his desk now had a corner shaped like the outline of his fingers, I curved my hand against the corner of my own desk to instruct him to smooth it out.

"Destroy all evidence," I muttered to him, too fast and to low for any human to hear. I knew he didn't need me to remind him of the basics of vampire law, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt.

His face, still distraught, was trying desperately to compose itself. "Got it," he said, smoothing the corner of the desk out with his thumb.

"You can do this," I whispered to him. "I know you can."

It was the same words he had uttered to me in encouragement when trying to get me into a few experimental "intimate" positions the evening before.

Though I had all the confidence in the world in him, I couldn't help but compare his demeanor as he struggled with his thirst, verses the collected masterful animalistic man he'd become during his sessions with me of a more… primal nature.

I thought of the night before, mere hours before this, when he had bent me over and brought me to completion twice, first with his mouth and then with his manhood. I had no idea that one man, so confident and smooth in his delivery in one aspect, could be so rigid and fragile the next. Immediately, I felt moisture pool between my thighs at the thought of how he made me feel only eight hours ago.

Within my peripheral vision I saw him slowly turn to me.

His eyes were intense, darkening with that same primitive need. His nose flared, and I knew he caught the scent of my arousal. He bit his lip, and his posture slowly eased out of its stiff demeanor.

"Can any one tell me if this is increasing or decreasing on the interior of I?"

Emmett bit his lip, his eyes still locked on me. He seemed not to hear anything the professor was saying.

"Mr. Cullen?"

"I'm sorry," Emmett replied, clearing his throat, and reluctantly turn to the front of the class.

With great pride, Emmett took on the Cullen name, one aspect I hadn't accepted in this life. It was to no disrespect to Carlisle or the family, or even my immortal bitterness. I just simply preferred my own name. Carlisle and Esme were gracious enough to let me keep it, understanding that my desire for my former life would lead me to do so. With the passing of my parents, it now seemed more fitting. Emmett, of course, was happy to take the name, as it symbolized being accepted into the family officially—something he'd always wanted.

"Uh, Mr. Cullen?" the professor uttered again.

"Yes, Professor Dotson?"

"Can you tell me if in this function, F of X, is increasing or decreasing on I?"

His eyes scanned the board quickly. "Increasing, sir," he answered, confidently.

Dotson looked unpleasantly surprised. "That is… correct," he muttered. He was clearly looking to stump Emmett, but was poorly misguided. "Eyes on the board, students. This isn't social hour."

I saw Emmett's mouth curl down at the corners. He kept his head towards the front of the class from that point on, but from the corner of his eye he watched me like a hawk.

Though I knew that Emmett was smart, I couldn't help but be surprised as well. I never figured he'd be scholastic. This was the first time either of us had taken calculus, but it seemed he had taken to mathematics like a fish to water. As I considered such a concept, it all made perfect sense. Emmett was just so logical, that things like Calculus and Trigonometry all made sense to him, once explained. I smiled to myself as I watched him. Emmett was just as intelligent as he was funny and kind. I couldn't help myself then, my arousal increasing just like the equation.

My eyes followed the contour of his body as he sat in his desk. The bulge between his legs had increased in size within his pants. He leaned forward some more to be able to turn his head so that he could keep his eye on me, and yet appear like he was listening to the professor. He licked his lips as I bit the bottom of mine. His demeanor was no longer unbending, nor was he struggling with thirst. It had me curious, wondering if this might be a solution to keeping him distracted.

Throughout that class and the next, I realized his intense concentration on me had left him almost forgetting the humans around us. I continued to think about sex throughout the day, keeping my arousal in tact, and it seemed to work. It was evident that my arousal had ignited his own, effectively distracting him from his thirst almost completely until classes ended that afternoon. Eventually making it into Edward's Volvo together we went home with an itch in our pants, and a sour-faced adopted brother in the driver's seat.

I smiled to myself, realizing that, in our challenge with Emmett's thirst, we may be onto an interesting solution.

****

The hunt.

The hunt was a sport to most vampires, and an obsession for many—the hunter after their prized kill: the predator after his prey.

This was I—the predator—determined, steady, ready, and fast… only this was more than just nourishment for a few feeble days of my existence. This was the most important hunt a woman would ever have to endure in her lifetime.

I was on a hunt for the perfect wedding gown.

I had decided I wanted to get married in December, right after final exams. I figured it would give me something to look forward to as this semester dragged on. Plus, with the pending relocation to Washington State, I wanted to get married in Appalachia, in front of the whole town, ending our stay here with a huge soirée. Though the town was considerably small, citizens of Wise County were serviced by Carlisle at Lonesome Pine Hospital, and I urged that they all be invited. I wanted the largest audience possible to witness my union with Emmett.

With Esme's encouragement, we were to follow all the nuptial traditions any family in wealthy society would do: an engagement party, a bridal shower, a rehearsal dinner, a church wedding, and a dinner reception with cocktails and dancing. She and Carlisle knew that my want for a normal life would include a wedding with such normality.

She was elated to be the mother of the bride, just as detail oriented and organized as I needed her to be, but not at all overbearing. She knew when to step back and give me the reins. When I had asked her if she would also be my matron of honor, she could've busted into a million pieces in pure excitement. As the only female in my life, I wanted her to play a dual role in my wedding, considering she was my best and only girlfriend as well.

It was upon Esme's insistence that we hold the small engagement party in October, right after midterms. I, of course, couldn't turn down such an idea. It came as no shock to the family that I enjoyed any opportunity in being the center of attention.

With several upcoming special occasions, Esme decided take a drive to me to New York City and visit the small boutiques and bridal shops there. In fact we were on a search, traveling far and wide, to every major city within driving distance for this important garment. I stayed as focused as I could, but I was easily distracted by the great pieces that I would come into contact with. Fashion and shopping was my thrill, and I ended up picking up things for the secondary functions rather than the main event.

I had fallen in love with a few designer evening gowns, but, disappointingly, none were wedding appropriate. The search for these gowns was easy, and didn't stress me at all.

What was tough was settling on a gown for the actual wedding day. We scoured the many department stores and small shops of several nearby cities and towns. Sadly, I wasn't as impressed with all of the traditional wedding gowns of the present time. They were all too plain—far too simple for the exquisiteness of my taste.

"I really don't get what the big deal is," Edward muttered as he played chess with Emmett one afternoon. "It's just a wedding. You wear it for a day, and then that's it. You waste Carlisle and Esme's time every weekend. As if their task of relocating us to Hoquiam wasn't enough to occupy their free time."

Emmett laughed, not commenting. He knew better than that.

"It's my _wedding _dress," I sneered at him, from the piano. "It's _important."_

"Shouldn't the most important thing be the fact that you're marrying Emmett?" Edward asked, his eyebrow arching fortuitously at me.

"Hey," Emmett chimed in. "It makes her happy. Let her do what makes her happy."

"Thank you, Emmett," I sighed. I knew he could always be counted upon.

"Besides," he began to Edward, lowering his voice, "Whatever she wears, I get to take it off later that night." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Edwards face turned down completely at Emmett's comment, laying down his chess pieces with his hand. "I think I lost my desire to continue the game." He stood up, playfully shuddering at the thought, and with a small grin to Emmett, he headed for the stairs.

"Aww, Edward," Emmett called out after him, snickering. "Come on! I was just joking, kind of."

I giggled as well, and Emmett winked at me, a corner of his mouth rising into a half grin.

****

"Learn these verbs and conjugate them for your home assignment, and remember that midterms are next week so please review all of the materials," Professor Rodriguez instructed. "Class dismissed."

We filed out of our Level 1 Spanish class. It was our lunch break, and Emmett and I decided to spend it sitting on a patch of grass in the quad in the middle of campus. Students were a buzz everywhere, people running to catch up with their friends with their lunch in their hand. We had our 'lunches'with us that Esme lovingly packed with us this week. It was nice to have her there this week, when much of her time was spent in Hoquiam getting the new house ready.

It was a perfectly dreary autumn day, all the trees around us had turned color. Emmett laid out a blanket that he kept in his book bag for us to sit on, and have our pretend picnic on with Esme's lunch of funny smelling turkey on rye and fresh fruit.

"She could've at least packed a thermos of deer blood," he complained, plopping himself down on his side, his legs stretched into a casual pose. He propped half of his body on his elbows.

"Emmett," I chastised, taking a seat on the ground and laying out our charade of lunch. "Esme did a nice thing for us."

"Just sayin', gee-wiz," he scoffed, but just as he was about to say something more he snarled something ferocious.

My stomach dropped as my nose filled with the most delicious scent, the burn that normally inhabited my throat multiplying exponentially.

Right then a young man came running out of his class, his head thrown back with a washcloth over his nose, stained a dark scarlet red. He was headed to the nurse's clinic in the building about thirty feet from where we sat.

_Oh, no._

_Classic nosebleed._

_Bad timing._

In a flash, Emmett was on his feet, trembling with ardent thirst, itching with the need to kill_._

I stood up as quickly as he did, and my hand caught hold of his arm before he could walk.

Thankfully, he let me hold him without a fight, and I was happy that he had developed the rational side of his brain in the past year.

"Sit back down," I growled lowly, through my teeth.

He snarled again, desperately trying to find his sense as he battled the thirsty demon within him.

"Please, sit," I whispered in his ear. "People are starting to stare."

And they were. A few people stopped, with perplexed looks on their faces before continuing their stroll to their next class.

His face was angry—frustrated, as he reluctantly sat himself down. I took my place in front of him, seating myself strategically so that I obstructed his view of the clinic.

He began to almost whimper in trying to muffle his snarling, clearly struggling to find his resolve. He had shut his eyes, and I hoped that he was trying to find his sense rather than imagining what he'd do to the young boy.

I knew I had to help him. "Emmett," I commanded forcefully. "Look at me."

His eyes, still squeezed shut, slowly open.

"Look at me," I instructed, softly.

I needed to distract him—to find some way to make this easier. "Spanish word for 'to think," I prompted him.

His expression was irritated, but he forced himself to find composure, knowing I was only trying to help. He took a deep, calming breath, though his shoulders still trembled. "Creer."

"Good," I encouraged. "Now conjugate it. I think."

His eyes lost focus, switching to different spots on the grass, and then past my shoulder to the clinic.

"Emmett," I seized, shaking his arm with my hand. "Focus."

He growled softly in frustration, his sight switching to me, peering at me from the corners of his eyes.

I shrank in my posture as I got a small glimpse of the monstrous newborn he once was, and still battled with today. "Emmett," I pleaded, "for me."

He shut his eyes again, shaking himself out of it. "Yo creyo," he answered, his eyes still shut.

"That's great," I breathed in a sigh of relief. "Go on…"

"Tu crees, el creen, nosotros creemos, ellos creen." He was still trembling with a want, a need to go after the poor student.

I sat up, on my knees this time, placing one between his bent legs, almost straddling his knee, but not quite. "Next verb… to want," I sad, softly, placing my hands on his thighs.

His eyes fluttered open, his eyebrows furrowing in a puzzled manner now, rather than in irritation. "What are you doing?" he asked in a whisper.

"To want," I pressed. "In Spanish."

He sighed, his eyes searching my face before resting on my lips.

"Querer," he breathed.

"Conjugate it," I murmured, slowly, letting him watch my lips move.

His trembling began to subside, his eyes studying my lips. He gulped before he answered, "Yo quiero."

I curled my fingers, my nails grazing the surface of his thighs to encourage him. I moved with discretion, my hands not too high on his thigh, conscious of our surroundings. "Yes?"

"T—tu quieres." The tension of his shoulders were beginning to weaken. "El quiere,"

"Uh huh," I purred, as I ran my nails up and down the lower part of his thighs again.

He gulped another time. "Nosotros queremos," he whispered, and he seemed to melt along with my fingernails stroking on his thighs.

"Ellos…" I prompted.

"Quieren," he growled.

There was something utterly sensual in the way he pronounced his "r" in Spanish, and how it just rolled off his tongue like chocolate. I couldn't help but imagine him rolling his tongue against me for that moment. "Yes," I nodded, my voice betraying my lack of composure. Taking one if his hands, I gently placed it on my knee. "To touch," I encouraged.

"Rose," he whispered, unsure of my sudden forwardness in public. "What are you—"

"Tell me," I interjected, cocking my head to the side as I studied his masculine jawline. "Spanish review. We're studying."

He let out a shaky sigh. "Tocar," he answered, confidently, with an underlying hint of lust in his voice.

It was enough to arouse me, my scent blooming in the air.

I caught the way his nostrils flared slightly, a corner of his lip curling up in amusement. His hand moved up past my knee, and he let out a tiny gasp, his finger finding a strap to a garterbelt that he didn't know I was wearing.

He loved garter belts, and I knew it, and i was grateful to think of wearing one today, with a precarious nosebleed situation.

"Yo toco," he growled, "means I touch."

My lips parted as I felt him gently stroke my knee with the soft pads of his fingers. "Tu toca, you touch." He slipped his hand further up my thigh, but I pushed it away, conscious of the student body passing us.

He laughed, and I grinned shyly, but in all of my own arousal, my nipples had hardened. His eyes were now focused on my chest, and I cursed the brassiere I wore to day with little padding.

He reached his hand up to brush an errant strand of my hair from my face, leaving his hand on my locks, rubbing them with his fingers. "El toca… he touches," he said as his hand glided to follow my golden tendril down my chest.  

I shivered in response. "Emmett," I chided this time. I had succeeded in distracting him now, but now he was taking it to a whole new level.

"Nosotros tocamos…" he whispered, as his knuckles grazed against my shirt, hovering at my pebbled nipple, "_we_ touch."

I stared at him for a moment in complete wanton lust. It helped tremendously that his spanish accent was perfect, as if he was speaking it all his life.

_What had I started?_

"Quiero tocarte," he admitted in a soft voice, his golden irises darkening into sweet caramel desire.

I licked my lips "I want to touch you, too," I breathed.

"Ven conmigo," he groaned softly, grabbing me by the hand and leading me into the student union building.

Needless to say, after that day, there was a janitor's closet in the student union that needs a new supply of cleaning equipment, and damage repair on two walls.

Later that afternoon, Carlisle, Esme and I headed to Richmond. Esme had pointed me to a Coco Chanel wedding number that she thought I would've liked, and it was lovely in its own right—a dress perfectly acceptable in the church— but it wasn't me, as it was too conservative and simple.

My taste ran to couture ensembles, my favorite being a gorgeous evening ball gown by Madeleine Vionnet, that I had ran into at the Woodward and Lothrop store in downtown Washington, D.C. It was a sleeveless, halter gown with a full skirt, made of silver tissue lamé and ivory netting. However, Carlisle and Esme were sure the congregation would shoot it down. I was heartbroken, but I knew that getting married in the church was more important—at least with this first wedding of ours.

As a compromise I decided on a second dress for the wedding; an evening gown for the reception. It was another Vionnet, but one that I didn't want to share with anyone but Esme as far as the look, to keep it a surprise. However, I still hadn't found the most important garb of all. Frustratingly, I would come home empty-handed, and the prospect of finding a suitable gown that fit my taste was diminishing with every trip that we made out of town.

When I felt that all hope was lost, Carlisle had come up with a suitable compromise. His connections put him in touch with Ms. Gabrielle Vionnet Chanut, an aspiring designer in New York City. Though she was a devoted mother and housewife, she had a side business for apparel design and shared in the great fashion sense. Esme and Carlisle accompanied me to the big city to see the French immigrant in her home, and get measured for the dress. Within just two weeks, it was ready, and we headed up for a final fitting.

I stepped into Mrs. Chanut's home again, a bit apprehensive, and full of skepticism. I felt like nothing could satisfy me at this point, and I was anxious to find the right garment and have all the drama over with.

She handed me a slip at first to try on. The spaghetti-strapped, off-white slip was made out of a fairly new man-made material called rayon, which itself would be a great number for intimate wear. My mind immediately ran to Emmett, knowing he would definitely love it. It was to be worn under a traditional tiered net and lace gown, which Mrs. Chanut carried gingerly on her arm to me at the dressing room. Esme helped me slip it on, and I stepped out of the dressing room and into the area with the mirrors.

Esme immediately cupped her mouth with her hands, caught up in emotion, when I turned to look at it myself.

I gasped at my reflection as well, all my skepticism in wearing such a traditional gown floating out the window. In the grand tradition of her aunt in France, Mrs. Chanut had designed the delicate, sheer net overdress so that it clung in the bias cut to my figure, accentuating my curves and tiny waist. The dramatic mermaid skirt was fitted to about the knees where it flared out into long sweeping train in the back. The bodice had long net sleeves, tight on the forearm towards my hands, with pouf ruffled over-sleeve on the upper arm, much like traditional gowns of today.

"Oh, wow," I whispered as my hand gingerly traced the curve of the round scoop neckline. All of these elements were highlighted with rows of delicate lace gathered trim, adding a special, feminine touch to the look.

Mrs. Chanut left for a moment, only to come back with a floral headpiece and cathedral length veil that precisely matched the silk netting of my dress. As she placed it on my head, I heard a sniffle from Esme.

She was awestruck at the vision of me in my bridal ensemble. "Oh, Rose," she gushed. "You look like… like… heaven."

"Thank you, Esme." I was too busy looking at my adopted, loving mother who was clutching at her heart, before I turned to myself on in the mirror once again. I froze.

One look at myself in the complete ensemble, and I knew it.

This was it.

It was perfect: conservative enough to be accepted by the chapel, yet sexy enough in its cut and sheerness of the overdress that I didn't feel it too plain. I felt powerful and desirable, yet it still made me look like an angel—_his_ angel. It would definitely keep Emmett's attention, which was the primary goal.

"You like it?" Mrs. Chanut asked in her thick French accent, standing next to me and looking at my expression through our reflection.

"No," I breathed, my voice like wind chimes. "I love it."

I smiled reverently at my reflection, satisfied with my decision.

I had found the dress.

****

To my surprise, the weeks went by quickly, with all the fun that I had with Emmett in school. I found that as long as we were in class together, life wasn't so bad after all. Time passed so quickly that before I knew it the night of our engagement party had arrived.

I went with Madeliene Vionnett for my gown for the party—a full length of smoke grey chiffon, adorned with rhinestones and silver beads, and a dramatic detached draped back that hit the floor in a fabulous train.

I descended the staircase as Emmett stood close with Edward, watching the crowd from the foot of the stairs. The crowd consisted of Carlisle's contemporaries, and a few of Esme's clients. Emmett's ears must have picked up on my footsteps, for when I got to the second step towards the first floor his head popped up. His laughing golden eyes filled with admiration before they deepened with a fiery lust.

I smiled sheepishly. _Could I have expected any less?_

Edward cleared his throat in an effort to remind us he was still standing there.

"Sorry, brother," Emmett said under his breath. "But you can't deny she looks smokin' in those glad rags."

"I'll take your word for it," Edward responded, with his lips twitching into what seemed like a smile before he excused himself to mingle with other guests.

Emmett chuckled before turning his eyes back on me, a smile stretching across his lovely features. "Certainly a tomato, Miss Rosalie," he gushed.

I smirked at the old nickname. "You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Emmett." I retorted playfully.

He chortled another time, holding out his arm for me to take.

All eyes were on me, and I knew it, and though I would normally bask in that glory, no eyes were as important as the man who beamed at me with knee-weakening dimples that danced on each cheek.

He stayed close to me the whole night as we pretended to sip wine and eat our five course supper of Cornish game hens and roasted potatoes. In fact Emmett managed to force some of the food down, with only a flicker of a wince on his face as he swallowed. It was in an effort to distract himself from his ever-burning thirst, and I held his hand above the table to support him. I smiled to myself as I earned a gentle squeeze of my hand from his in return.

After the main course was served, I knew that we were in for a formal toast by Carlisle. A union like ours was sure to raise eyebrows in the townspeople, considering the fact that both of us lived under Carlisle's roof as his adopted children. By law, we were viewed as siblings. He had decided to use this event to set it straight, and properly present us as two strangers he had come to love and choose to take care of, who happened to fall in love. He had found a good story to present us, one that was hopefully believable for the citizens of Wise County to revere the great physician that he was.

Carlisle stood up, lightly tapping his fork on his wine class to get everyone's attention. "My fellow friends, no one is happier today than me and my wife Esme," He turned to his wife for a moment, squeezing her hand as she kissed him gently on his cheek before he continued.

"God has blessed us with great health and great fortune, but most of all, a wonderful family. Though it is a sadness we cannot bear any children of our own, we have managed to work miracles with whatever obstacles God has given us. We have adopted lovely children like our son Edward and our lovely daughter Rosalie, and now my family will have the addition of one more."

He gestured his hand toward Emmett, who stood up from his seat. "It is with great pleasure that I present my nephew, Mr. Emmett McCarty Cullen. He is the son of my oldest and greatest brother, Stewart, whose death had left loneliness in our hearts. However, with every hardship, comes great joy. Without any living kin but myself, my brother left me his son to take in my house a little over a year ago, and I happily accepted him into the family."

"Emmett has been a joy and an inspiration to all of us, bringing in laughter and sunshine to our day. He has turned our life upside down for the better. In fact it seems that he has made a significant impression on one particular member of my family. It was little to my surprise that he would take so well to our Rosalie." Carlisle turned his golden gaze at me for a moment, motioning that I stand up.

I stood up from my seat proudly as Carlisle directed everyone's attention my way with his hand.

"After all, who could blame him?" Carlisle asked with a smile. Turning back to the crowd after earning a few chuckles, he continued. "They have made a fine match for one another, growing together everyday in laughter and love. Now it gives me great joy that these two young individuals that I cherish dearly have chosen to make this union official and enter in a life of matrimonial bliss."

"So let us raise our glasses in a toast to the finest couple to grace this County."

All of us raised our flutes in response, Emmett's eyes turning to me before switching back to Carlisle.

"To Emmett and Rosalie," Carlisle pronounced, "may this be the start of your forever."

"Cheers!" every one exclaimed, as we all took tiny faux sips of our human beverage before carrying on with the dessert course.

Emmett leaned into me to press his lips against my temple, pulling away to glance at me again, his liquid gold eyes full of pride.

****

The seconds ticked by as I zipped as quickly as I could through my second to the last exam of the semester. I tried to recollect all of my knowledge and study of polynomials, first and second derivatives, and integrals.

I stared at the date on the chalkboard, my eyes focusing for a moment before they revealed to me _December 10, 1936._

Time certainly flew when you had fun. I was glad to know that, and I wondered to myself why I had prolonged my denial of my happiness with Emmett once he'd returned his affection toward me. If I had known that I would look forward to each sunrise, or cherish each evening as much as I do now, I certainly wouldn't have played the many games that I did. However, I realized that the point was that I had, and after all that I had put him through, he still loved me. He still wanted and needed me, for all that I was. I was the luckiest girl ever, and I would be this lucky for eternity.

I looked over at Emmett, who was taking the exam from the seat beside me. His pencil was moving fiercely across the page, and with his math wiz mind, I was sure he'd finish at least thirty minutes before everyone else. His chest was still as a statue. Apparently, he was holding his breath as a classmate cut his knee in the class before this one, the scent of fresh blood in the air, though only in a small amount. He seemed at ease anyway, given such a circumstance, particularly since the exam was on material he was very comfortable with. We found that academics, especially when he enjoyed the subject, could also hold his concentration long enough to partially distract him from his thirst.

Because of that, I decided to add another level to it—a challenge. He and I were completely competitive at school, and I knew he was a bit miffed that I had completed and aced the Spanish final exam ten minutes before him just two classes before this one.

He was an incredibly attractive man, but his smarts were just much of an aphrodisiac as the bulging muscles that contoured his chest beneath the material of his shirt. And so, for the millionth time in his presence, and in the classroom, my arousal flooded within me, permeating in the air.

His pencil stopped quickly, and I heard a soft crackle of the lead tip breaking. A low, primal growl bubbled from his throat, but merely soft enough that only I heard it. I smiled to myself secretly for a moment.

The moment was short-lived, and suddenly, I winced to myself, knowing I shouldn't be doing this. Though it had become somewhat a routine through the semester, my arousal providing a distraction great enough that it prevented Emmett from slaughtering our innocent classmates and professors, I wasn't being fair. I had committed to a two week vow of celibacy before the wedding, trying to at least keep some semblance of a semi-virtuous situation before marriage, and to also make for an intense reunion after the wedding.

Emmett was luckily prepared for such mishaps, bringing three sharpened pencils with him that day. He continued on with his exam as a small growl rumbled through his chest once again. After a long while I knew he was done, his scribbling slowing down considerably as he checked over his work. I was still about three problems away from completing my own exam. He turned his test paper over, a sign that he was done.

Professor Dotson walked by to collect his exam before returning to his own desk in front of class.

I continued on with my exam, trying to graph the next equation.

In a sound too low for humans to hear, Emmett called out to me, "Rose,"

I checked the professor, busy with something at his desk before looking over at Emmett.

He leaned back, giving me a view of his notes from government class. I was puzzled at first that he'd call my attention to them, but outside of the margin, he had drawn different instances of a pair of stick figures in various sexual positions.

I let out a giggle, which I managed to hide with a cough, catching Professor Dotson's head pop up at the sound. I cleared my throat and coughed again, finishing up my last equation.

To my right, Emmett laid his book out before him, and with my preternatural vision, I observed each tiny diagram. Many positions were ones we had done recently, while others he had circled that I'd never seen before. Apparently he was suggesting new ones for us to try.

Quickly he wrote "Honeymoon," in his lovely penmanship beside one of the untested positions.

I smiled to myself. "Maybe," I wrote across one of my note papers in response. However, the increased scent of my excitement in my panties confirmed my agreement.

The corner of his mouth curled up into a half smile. "That's what I thought." He scribbled quickly.

I turned over my exam then.

As we drove home with Edward in the Volvo, the thought of such new positions were fresh on my mind, and judging by the sheepish grin on the larger vampire's face, it was clear that Emmett's mind was on the same thing.

Edward's face was contorted in a disgusted mess.

"Oh, come on, Edward," Emmett mocked, picking up on Edward's revulsion. "As if no woman's ever got you hot under the collar before."

Edward sat quiet, staring out the road as we came to as stop light.

"Wait, you _have_ been with a girl before, haven't you?"

I opened my mouth to answer but Edward snarled "Shut up, Rose," before I could get a word out.

I watched as Edward's eyes flickered to Emmett quickly before returning to the road, squirming uncomfortably in his seat as he realized his brother was watching him closely. "No," he answered quietly.

"Really? So no touching, not even kissing?"

Edward shook his head wordlessly. "Next subject."

"No, I like this one," Emmett urged, fascinated. "So no touching," he concluded.

Edward's posture grew stiff, taking on a rather defensive aura.

"Well… have you ever... _liked_ a girl before?" Emmett pressed.

"They're all the same," Edward answered quickly, his voice dull.

Emmett's expression looked dubious. "The same?"

"Yes, the same. You hear their minds, and nothing is a surprise, or a mystery. The internal ramblings of an everyday human girl are boring to me." His eyes flickered to me through the mirror and back to the road. "Even some _superhuman girls_ bore me."

I glared at him through the mirror as I watched his laughing eyes squint from the annoying smile forming on his lips. "Like you're a regular prince charming yourself, Edward," I derided.

Edward chuckled.

"Well," Emmett egged on, "in your human years, you never found a girl attractive?"

Edward thought for a moment. "Well, no."

"No?" Emmett asked, completely shocked. "Never?" he asked again, earning a simple shake of Edward's head in response. "Are you serious?"

"Well, in my time my first priority was to join the Great War. I was just seventeen. Girls were not my concern."

"Hmm," Emmett responded, pondering. He was quiet for the first few moments.

"Will you just let it go, Em," Edward pleaded, his voice irritated.

"Fine," Emmett grumbled, looking out his window.

I watched as Edward's defensive posture become more relaxed for a long moment, before suddenly stiffening once again. I should have known that as a sign that something was brewing in Emmett's mind, but Emmett spoke before I put it together.

"Are you… queer?" Emmett asked slowly, his voice of amusement, and curious wonder.

I knew Emmett said it just as he thought it, never feeling the need to edit what he had to say. He was just that straight forward. Because of that Edward couldn't react and stop Emmett from saying what was on his mind, but his eyes rolled just as Emmett began to say the word "queer".

"For crying out loud, Emmett," Edward snarled, his voice cutting through my thoughts. "No, I am not _queer_."

I busted out into a fit of laughter at Emmett's comment, though I fear I only ignited Edward's temper as I felt him shoot daggers at me with his eyes through the rearview mirror.

"Because if you are, hey," Emmett continued, raising his hand in the air, palm forward, "no judgment."

"I said I am _not _queer," Edward growled, his knuckles becoming white as he gripped the steering wheel.

"I mean, being a soldier intrigues me all the same, but not enough to make me blind to the skirts within my reach."

Edward hissed.

"Edward," Emmett pressed through a chortle, "I will love you as a brother no matter what. I can accept your… preference, whatever it may be. You don't have to hide it, or deny it." He studied Edward and decided to follow up with some encouragement in the silenced that followed. "This is a safe space."

My hysteria grew louder as Emmett managed to say that all with a straight face before joining me, letting out a loud guffaw. Edward pressed his foot on the gas, pushing the car into it's fastest as he sped down the road to the house. "I'd hate to take you down before your wedding, Emmett."

"Ooh, is that a challenge, Edward? Because you know I love me a good fight."

Edward hissed violently.

They jumped at each other right as they hopped out of the car, heavily in a brawl before I could step out of the car myself. After stressing that Emmett not get a scratch on him I hurried into the house to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

The evening closed in on us, and soon the boys had to prepare for the dinner after the wrestling match—a match that Emmett won, I must add, in lieu of my soon to be husband's wishes.

I chose a festive orange silk organza gown with metallic stripes by Elsa Schiaperelli. The saleswoman called it a "Sari" which intrigued not just me, but Carlisle as well. It was heavily influenced by Indian and Southeastern Asian styles, and was fit for a modern Hindu princess.

"Hey there, beautiful," Emmett whispered in my ear as he hugged me from behind. "The dress looks so amazing on you that I need to find out what's underneath."

I giggled. "Emmett, what is it with you? If it isn't the immortal drink, you're set on making whoopee."

"But I love making whoopee with you, babe," he insisted, his hand following the curve of my lower back and resting on the protrusion derriere.

"No, Emmett," I reprimanded gently, taking his hand in mine. Deep down I wanted it as much as he did, but I also wanted our first married night to be special. Holding off on making love was the only way to ensure it. "Not until the honeymoon, remember?"

He growled lowly, a sound only I could hear among the buzz of the guests. It was clear that my decision to keep from any sex for two weeks before the wedding wasn't well received.

Much like the engagement party, Emmett clung to me, leaning on me to keep him distracted from his thirst for most of the time. However, he did find the resolve to converse lightly with the Briggs family and Pastor Lawrence, our celebrant for the ceremony.

Pastor James Lawrence was a kind, pudgy man, in his mid forties, with thinning sandy-brown hair and a shiny forehead. Though he greatly esteemed Carlisle for his good work in the hospital and church, his demeanor gave way that his instincts had him on edge beside my towering, bulky vampire betrothed. In fact his body chemistry told me that if he didn't fear what my future husband might do to him if he didn't agree to marry us, then he'd run the other way.

Of course, Emmett was far from taking Pastor Lawrence's life. He kept a close eye on me the whole time, his sight either following the curve of my body or fixed on my lips. I wasn't surprised as his choice for distraction from thirst was the thought of his second most desired past time.

Either way, I was happy to provide him with such a distraction.

Moments passed, and Carlisle gave Emmett a nod to cue him that dinner was to begin.

"Look's like it's time," I pointed out to Emmett as he stood so closely beside me.

"Hmm, well there's no time like the present, huh?" he said, under his breath.

"You ready to do this?"

"Yep," he said, before hopping up on one step of our grand staircase and clearing his throat loudly to capture everyone's attention. "We'd like to thank all of you for participating in making tomorrow happen," he began, with his deep voice projecting through the house. "Nothing excites me more than to be married to this beautiful dame standing beside me."

He turned to me quickly, grinning proudly and turning back to the audience only after I'd returned his grin.

"I speak for both of us when I say we thank Carlisle and Esme. We certainly look forward to tomorrow, and sharing it with all of you! And to thank you all for your assistance, dinner is served. Please, enjoy the meal."

Dinner was another five course event, just as elaborate as the engagement party but with only a third of the guests. Soon, all the mortals wanted to leave to get an early night's rest for the big day. When the last of the guests had pulled out of the driveway, I helped Esme clear the table. Edward took Emmett out to hunt in preparation for the day ahead.

"Rosalie," Esme called, touching my arm to stop me. "Carlisle and I wanted to give something to you for tomorrow."

"Have a seat," she said, pulling out a chair, and producing a small wooden box before me. "It was my mothers. She wore it on her wedding day, and I wore it on mine. I'd like for you to have it now." She pulled off the lid, and revealed a divine brooch.

"Oh, wow, Esme," I breathed. It was white gold with delicate filigree detail and three shimmering stones inlaid in the design.

"It's quite old, but the Austrian crystals have held up well. I think it would add a charming touch to both of your gowns tomorrow."

"Oh, my word. It's gorgeous," I gushed. I wanted to accept it, but I felt guilty, questioning whether I deserved such an heirloom from her. We weren't blood. I was far from a Platt, and I know that I wasn't always the best daughter to her. "Esme, I can't. How could I take something from your family?"

"Rosalie," she said, placing her hands gently over mine. "You _are_ my family. You're my only daughter, and it brings me joy to be able to pass this Platt tradition onto you."

I pulled my hands from hers and wrapped my arms around her. "Thank you so much Esme. It's beautiful."

"You're welcome. You can consider that your '_something old_,'" she suggested before her eyes drifted behind me. "But now, it's Carlisle's turn." She stood up and allowed Carlisle to take a seat next to me while she sat on the other side of the table. "He's been practically itching to give you his gift."

I turned to him, his face held excitement and anticipation. Such an expression had me overly curious.

Carlisle handed me another velvet box, one decidedly newer, secured with a red satin ribbon tied in a huge bow. It was flat and wide, and my eyes grew with just as much eagerness.

"I had this matching set custom made just for you," he explained. "Esme helped me with the design. I guess you could consider it your dowry." His tone was smooth with a hint of animation.

I lifted its lid enthusiastically, and I gasped at the gorgeous contents. It was a pair of art deco style sapphire and diamond drop earrings, and pendant to match. I couldn't contain my squeal of delight.

Carlisle laughed. "Since it's basically two pieces, we figured one could act as your '_something new_,' and the other your '_something blue_.'"

"Oh wow," I breathed. "It's amazing." I lifted up an earring and hung it off my ear as I looked at my reflection in the dining room mirror. "Truly amazing… and so perfect."

Carlisle appeared behind me, placing both hands on my shoulders. "It is, indeed, perfect," he agreed, a handsome smile cracking across his striking features.

I turned back to them both. "This is all just… _so_ overwhelming."

"Oh, honey," Esme beamed, shaking her head as she walked over to us. "Just wait until tomorrow. This won't even compare to what tomorrow will bring." The thrill in her voice was palpable. I took it as a promise.

I hugged them both in gratitude and joy. So maybe I didn't care to be a vampire, but for as long as I was, I was in high spirits that I could have parents that cared so much for me in this life.

After laying out my wedding ensemble for tomorrow's event with Esme's assistance, she'd left my room to go tend to other things. I followed my nightly routine of stepping into a house dress and brushing my hair at my vanity. I played close attention to every feature of mine, knowing that the next day was extra special. I heard a knock at my door a few moments later.

I smiled to myself. "Come on in," I said, assuming it was either Emmett, eager to have one last kiss, or Esme, coming in with more last minute items for tomorrow's ceremony.

"Hello," I heard a smooth, male voice say—one that didn't belong to Emmett or Carlisle.

I swung around, stunned, meeting the dashing young vampire behind me with his shaggy, bronze coiffeur, and his topaz gaze hesitantly on me. "Edward?"

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" he asked.

"No, not at all," I answered, putting down my brush. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," he said, giving me a small, shy grin.

I arched a suspicious brow at him. "What is it then?"

He took in a deep sigh as I turned in the seat of my vanity to face him. "I didn't want to interrupt Carlisle and Esme's time as they gave you your gifts. That's why I chose to utilize that time to hunt with Emmett."

"Oh, all right then," I said. "Please, go on." I wasn't sure what to expect. He hardly ever came to my door, let alone stand in my bedroom. "What is it?"

"I had picked up that you had your _something old, new, and blue_."

I cocked my head to the side. "Yes?"

"Well, that would leave you in need of something… _borrowed_," he said, sticking his hand in the inner pocket of his jacket. He retrieved a box from it. The box was thin and long, and it looked rather antique. He placed the box on my vanity and slid it right in front of me.

I looked up at him, before switching my eyes down at the box and back to his face, completely stunned.

He chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open it," he urged.

I hesitated as my fingers met the wooden surface of the box, turning up its hinged lid. Inside laid a gorgeous Edwardian style bracelet, intricate in its own geometric design. It was one that would match the brooch that Esme had given me, but with decidedly more shimmering stones and less filigree work. "Oh, Edward—"

"I'd inherited a bunch of these… trinkets… when my mother passed. This was from my father, of course, for their tenth anniversary. And since you were in need of something borrowed, I figured I'd make my contribution to your bridal trousseau by lending you this."

"Diamonds," I concluded in a dazed whisper, watching the way the stones bent the light.

"Yes they are, and set in platinum," he confirmed, following my next thought.

Astonished, I looked him again, searching for a hint of humor, assuming immediately it was a joke. When I found nothing in his facial expression, my eyes flew back to the gorgeous piece of artwork in the box.

"You should try it on," he suggested, amused by my surprise.

"Oh, Edward, I can't," I refused, pushing the box away. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, even more than just moments ago when Esme gave her the Platt family brooch. I could no sooner accept a Masen heirloom as well. "It was your mother's."

"On loan," he reminded me, pointing his finger forward. "And," he said, taking it with his hand and fastening it to my wrist at preternatural speed, "please do. It would do nothing for me if it sat in its box during such an important day. And, besides," he continued, his head cocking to the side, "it looks lovely on you."

"Edward," I breathed, moving the bracelet along my wrist with my other hand. Without a moment's thought I stood up to hug him. Too caught up in the moment, I realized we both stood awkwardly against one another.

His body was stiff, but I felt his arms slowly rise around my back, his hand lightly patting my shoulder blades.

We pulled away in an instant, with awkward giggles between us.

"Thank you so much," I said, truly humbled by his generous offer.

He gave me a striking smile. "My pleasure," he muttered, and almost immediately, the striking smile became a smug grin, reading my admiration of his features in my mind.

"Ugh," I snarled, playfully pushing him away.

He gave out a light chortle.

"Don't get too attached though," he joked, pointing at my wrist. "Remember, it's on loan."

I smirked at him and stuck my tongue out.

He laughed quietly. "I'll see you at the church tomorrow."

"See you," I replied, watching his figure retreat from my room.

I thought of my brother, and for the first time, I felt warm and happy inside. It was a strange feeling indeed. I smiled at the thought.

"Ready?" Carlisle asked, as I stepped out of the Bentley.

"Yes," I said, taking his hand as he positioned himself to my right. Esme winked at me and fixed my train, finding little tasks to do for her to keep from crying for joy.

"Let's get you married," Carlisle smiled, walking toward the door.

The dim sunlight poured in through a partially cloudy December afternoon, with the smell of snow that had come and gone. The air was crisp and cool, but pleasant.

It was a great day to get married.

With my free hand, I felt my hair, getting one last look in the reflection of the Bentley's paint job to check on my appearance. Though I trusted Esme's hairstyle was gorgeous, I could never be too sure how much it would withstand or for how long. I chose to wear my hair half down, letting the locks behind my neck flow down my back, much like I did the day Emmett had awakened from his change. It wasn't a common hairstyle for a wedding, as most wore their hair upswept in finger waves, but I knew how much Emmett loved my hair, and this day was just as much his as it was mine. I also couldn't help but a step above the norm, the uniqueness of such a nuptial hairstyle was sure to start a fashion trend in this town.

I held a bouquet of large white calla lilies, Vendela roses, and stephanotis in my left hand, and once I'd felt all my tresses were in tact I looped my right arm through the arm that Carlisle offered me.

"Stop fretting, dear," Esme assured me, placing her hand on my shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. "You look perfect." She gave me brisk embrace before straightening up her posture, positioning her own bouquet of roses in her hand and walking through the double doors.

She walked before us, her ice-blue dress floating behind her in her wake. The chapel attendant shut the door behind her in anticipation of my grand entrance.

I heard Pachelbel 's Canon being played on an organ, filtering through the crack of the chapel's double door before Carlisle grabbed for the handle, the fragrance of a million flowers wafting onto us as the door swung open. As we stepped through the door of the chapel, the beauty of the decorated church first hit me, draped with silk organza and an aisle lined with pillars topped with green and white floral arrangements Esme and I had planned. Each arrangement was of white gardenias, stargazer lilies, iris, and cream colored roses, in combination with green cymbidium orchids, and pistachio colored amaranthus that draped from their ornate stone pots. I knew there would be two five-foot versions of these arrangements that stood at the end of the aisle on either side of the altar, and I was pleased with the beauty that Appalachia's town florist had created with the large budget Carlisle and Esme so generously given to us for today's most important event.

Closely following my admiration of the gorgeous ceremony backdrop, my stomach filled of butterflies as I looked for the one person that mattered to me the most. We took another few steps past the first set of pews to the aisle. I wasn't even at the aisle when I found what I was looking for, a window opening between two figures in the crowd in front of us to allow me a glance.

At the end of the walkway, I caught him from the corner of my eye, next to Edward and in front of Pastor Lawrence. My heart soared as my eyes drank in his vision, dashing and clad in a smoke grey tuxedo and bow tie. He was fidgeting as he stood, his face in great concentration as his eyes roamed the pews full of excited townspeople, eager to get a glimpse of me. Edward grabbed hold of his arm in a soothing manner, helping him to ease into his struggle. He was holding onto his resolve, as I assumed he was battling his thirst once again. For that I was happy that I had chosen a bias cut gown—accentuate my curves and hopefully distract him from the countless warm-blooded mortal guests gathered to witness our ceremony.

On Carlisle's arm, I turned the corner to the beginning of the aisle lined with silk draping and an abundance of flowers and a sea of people, and the moment I caught his eye, Emmett immediately relaxed in his posture. His stance seemed to weaken, before he made a concerted effort to straighten his chest and shoulders back up again. I made out from the movement on his throat that he took a large gulp in obvious anticipation. A small grin formed on his lovely mouth, his soft topaz gaze fixed on me through the veil of his thick lashes, a detail that I could still make out several feet away with my preternatural vision. I grinned back at him, my eyes never leaving his, and I was overcome with a tidal wave of emotions and memories.

From the day I found him slain by a bear, my being was completely altered. The dreary clouds of my fruitless, lonely existence parted to make way for the beams of sunlight that Emmett radiated everywhere he went. He was my own personal sun. There was no doubt in my mind that he was just as much my angel as I was his. Every heartache and disappointment I experienced during his newborn craze—every day of laughter and smiles in our newfound relationship, all came to this very day. As I walked down the aisle towards his towering, brawny figure—his plump lips in a small grin, framed by the dimples that weakened my very soul—the entire world made sense. Everything that happened to me, to Emmett—to both of us—happened to bring us to this very moment. And even if—buried deep down inside of me—I did want the impossible, and longed for a human life, this breaking moment overshadowed such a desire. I knew that within my immortality, and in this eternity, I belonged to Emmett.

It was like a magnetic force that drew me down that silk draped walkway, as I positively floated in all my beauty towards my future husband. The aisle seemed to go on forever before I got to him, but I still enjoyed the sight as I approached. Details of his virile features slowly revealed themselves to me as I neared him. The distinct line of his masculine square jaw was set off by the neckline of his tuxedo. His melted honey eyes almost seemed glassy, looking at me for once with adoration and reverence, rather than his normal mischievous, playful lust. They stood out the most on his face, aside from the blush color of his lips, set off by his close-cropped dark hair and the charcoal color of his tie and jacket. His lower lip trembled lightly as his smile finally deepened, his lips parting to reveal his perfect white teeth.

In turn, I deepened my own as Carlisle and I came to a stop, before I reluctantly turned to the Pastor. Carlisle stood with me as the Pastor made his opening remarks, awaiting the one question he'd been waiting to answer. All the while, I felt Emmett's eyes never leaving me.

"Who gives this woman?" the Pastor asked.

"Her mother and I do," Carlisle answered in a soothing tone. He then turned to peck me on the cheek. I gave him one quick embrace as Emmett took one slow step toward us. In a gesture as old as time, Carlisle took my hand and tenderly placed it onto Emmett's, before taking a seat next to Esme.

We turned ourselves to face the Pastor as he gave his first blessing, but I sensed Emmett's eyes fixed on me the whole time. Even as Edward gave the first reading, Emmett only glanced at him for a small instant before his gaze switched back to where I stood. It felt like an eternity in itself to wait for the part of the ceremony where we could turn towards each other. Words were said regarding the affirmation of love, as well as the challenge to be the best to one another as husband and wife, before he called upon Edward for the rings. He blessed them, and afterwards prompted the both of us to turn to one another, and I could hear Emmett let out a small sigh of relief.

With a cue from our pastor, I had moved my engagement ring to my right hand. Pastor Lawrence, with an expression of lingering fear of the large vampire that stood before him, handed Emmett my ring. With his shaky thumb and forefinger, he placed it just past my fingertip as he recited his vows.

Even though our vows were short and simple, and many couples before us had said them, I felt a sob erupt from my throat as he spoke, his own voice quivering through his recitation. He took a small step forward, his hand sliding the ring down my finger. His loving, buttery irises gazed upon me with adoration. I turned to him with his ring, trying to find my composure before I recited the vows myself. I began to slide the ring on his finger as I looked up at him, now smiling down at me. My own heart melted at the sight.

As Esme began the second reading, we didn't bother to turn away from each other. Our eyes were glued to one another, and in his eyes I saw the reflection of the best that I could be. In all that I had learned from him, and all that I had learned about myself through loving him, I had become a better person. I thought about the patience I had to endure as he worked out his bloodlust and waited for him to notice me. I contemplated the forgiveness I had to find in my heart for every instance where he shunned me or hurt me, from the day he woke up and strangled me to near death. I recollected my unconditional support for him, even though he almost hurt me after rescuing me from Victor. I had always believed in him, in his good-natured heart, and in his capability to love me. I had always believed in us, in what we could be, in what I always knew we were. I couldn't believe that after all this time, it was all coming to fruition.

The pastor made his pronouncement as husband and wife, and even before he finished prompting that he could kiss his bride, Emmett had crashed his lips onto mine. I complied eagerly, moving my lips against his, before I remembered we had a large audience and we were in a house of God. I pulled away gently, and Emmett's face followed, his lips after more. He was still catching his breath, reluctant to let go of me.

We heard the crowd laugh in response to Emmett's eagerness before the pastor announced, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Emmett McCarty Cullen."

The crowd cheered in a roar, and all around I heard applause. I faced the crowd, my eyes sweeping the packed chapel, with rows of pews filled with Appalachians, and people from neighboring towns like Big Stone Gap.

I turned to Emmett, his eyes already on me.

"Wave to the crowd, _Mrs._ _Cullen_," he whispered, trying out my new name for the first time. The corners of his lip turned upward, his dimples deepening on his cheeks—the dimples that were the destruction of all of my pride, the inspiration for all of my patience, and the reward for all my unconditional love.

I smiled in return, but more to myself, at my next thought.

_They were the dimples that belonged to my new husband._

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**Author's Endnotes:**

It's only beginning to hit me that this is about to end. I want to thank all of you who have stuck around to read this little story. I do sincerely apologize for not getting the updates sooner, but life has proven to be a challenge. I'm glad to know that I won't be leaving anyone hanging, though. I refuse to an author that abandons a fic, especially this one that i care so muh about, like many of you refuse abandon it to as well. ;-)

The next chapter will be the last chapter in the 1930s. I will be doing an epilogue in the summertime that will tie this into twilight on Bella's first day, and possible a prologue to this story. I will also be continuing with Strength and Remorse, Emmett's side of V&P's story.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**Got Twitter? Follow me for the latest updates to all of my fics! achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight. You can find a direct link on my profile.


	28. Chapter 27: Celebration

Chapter Specific Warning: In the grand tradition of this freakydeaky couple, I will end this with a BANG! I'm not gonna even apologize for the smut that goes on in this last chapter! I clearly marked this fic as NC-17/MA! Deal with it!

_**To adhere better to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version.**_

I know I said this would be my last chapter, but I ended up splitting this in half because I just couldn't get the last part of this out fast enough. So lucky for those who were hoping for more, this story will end on its 27th chapter, rather than its 26th.

To my beta, Lisa, aka cfmom, who is an amazing friend: Thank you so much for taking over this story early on when it was in need of some thorough editing and feedback. My only regret was that you weren't my beta from the beginning.

The Playlist:

Elvis Costello - She

Tony Bennett – The Way You Look Tonight

Brian McKnight – Love of My Life

Bob Marley – Waiting in Vain

Bob Marley – Is This Love

Big Mountain – Baby I Love Your Way

Firehouse – Love of a Lifetime

Sade – No Ordinary Love

Avant – Makin Good Love

Alexandre Desplat - Werewolves

**

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**Chapter 26: Celebration**

I climbed into the rented, white Bentley with Emmett, and didn't miss the way his eyes didn't leave me for even one second.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured to me, turning in his seat so that he could continue to watch me.

"Thank you," I mouthed to him. The driver began to pull away from the church and headed to our house where the reception was to be held.

Emmett threaded his fingers with mine and lifted both of our hands to his mouth, brushing his lips against the back of mine. "I love the dress," he whispered, trying not to let the driver hear.

"You look mighty swell yourself," I giggled.

He let our hands drop between us, keeping them together. "I could just eat you up," he whispered to me, his eyebrows doing a playful wiggle.

A tiny gasp escaped my lips at his comment, realizing all of the sexual denial for the last few weeks had caught up to me. I couldn't wait to get him alone just as much as he couldn't wait to get me alone. I smiled, parting my index finger from our intertwined hands, and tracing a small semi-circle against his thigh.

His eyes grew heavy and his lips parted ever so slightly. "You're an evil woman."

"I'm your wife," I corrected him.

A smile cracked across his striking features. "That you are."

We bantered like this for the whole ride up to our estate.

He held my hand as we walked through the door. I was more than eager for the big reveal—to see all the wedding preparation for the reception put to life.

I was not disappointed.

The living room of the Cullen Manor was cleared of all its furniture for the wedding, as well as for the upcoming move. Everything was being shipped by freight train to Washington State, and on to our new home in Hoquiam. I had only seen the blue prints, as I had been too busy with school and wedding plans to accompany Carlisle or Esme to go look at the place. In fact Edward was the only one who had accompanied Esme and Carlisle to Washington one weekend to check on the progress of the construction.

The living room was now set up for a banquet, filled with six-foot round tables, chairs covered by the finest champagne colored linens, silver and ecru tableware, and various floral centerpieces in green and white. The lights of our great room were dimmed, allowing the flickering yellow aura of the candlelight to illuminate the room. The effect was quite dramatic. I adored everything about it.

"Esme, you did a wonderful job," I gushed, recognizing her scent as she came up from behind me.

"Correction," she said, holding a finger up to gesture between the two of us. "_We_ did a wonderful job. Your taste is impeccable."

"I must agree, Esme. We make a great team, you and I."

She laughed with me and gave me a small hug before retreating into the crowd, joining Carlisle at his side. They welcomed the other guests, serving as great hosts and proud parents whose children had found their happy ending.

Carlisle had a string quartet playing the classics during cocktails and dinner, and hired a five piece band for dancing afterwards. Every aspect of this wedding was over the top and it was sure to be the event of the decade in this small town.

We mingled a bit during the cocktail hour with many of the guests, mostly townsfolk and families of Carlisle's associates from the hospital. There were countless trays of appetizers and small meaty morsels on pastries that would have once had me salivating. There was a large spread of fruit, vegetables, dip, imported cheese, and crackers, served with wine and champagne. I carried a champagne flute of course, while Emmett decided on an Old Fashioned glass filled with whiskey—our props to keep up our mortal façade.

Emmett straightened up as he spotted a couple making their way towards us through the crowd.

I looked up to see Thomas Kent and Maggie Dickson approaching us. I didn't miss the apprehension in Kent's eyes as he noticed Emmett was slightly smirking at him.

"Behave," I breathed to Emmett, too low for them to hear.

He said nothing, but chuckled in response.

"I mean it," I warned him through a grin, and then turned to face them. "Maggie, Thomas, it's so good of you to make it," I said with a smile.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. Congratulations, Rosalie," Maggie replied, leaning in to give me a slightly awkward hug.

I hugged her back lightly, holding my breath so as not to take in her scent. My throat burned anyway at the warmth of her body and the sound of her heart beat accelerating like it naturally did with a vampire present.

"Thomas Kent, Maggie Dickson, I'd like you to meet my…," I paused for a moment and smiled as Emmett winked at me, "_husband_, Emmett Cullen."

Both of their heart rates increased as they turned their attention to my towering groom. While the reason was obvious that Emmett would have Thomas on edge, I briefly wondered what would make Maggie so nervous. That was, until I got a look at the flush in her cheeks and the way she stared at Emmett, and realized that it wasn't just a survival instinct that had her heart racing.

I giggled to myself, knowing that my husband's good looks would have many women swooning, not to mention the fact that he was a colossal man.

Emmett held his large hand out to Thomas. "Nice to meet you," he said, his booming voice intentionally strong.

Thomas cleared his throat, and forced a smile on his rigid expression. "Nice to meet you, too," he responded back softly, taking his hand as quickly as he could while remaining polite.

I could tell he tried to return the strong grip that Emmett held on his hand, but I had to nudge Emmett to make sure he wasn't trying to crush poor Thomas's fingers. He let go of Thomas's hand with an even bigger smirk on his face, and Thomas pulled his hand away, flexing it gingerly.

"And congratulations to you both," Thomas said, turning to me. His mint green eyes lingered on me for a moment, a sincere smile on his face. He truly was happy with Maggie on his arm, and I was thrilled for him.

I returned a smile, securing my arm that was hooked through Emmett's. "Thank you so much," I said.

There was a small moment of quiet as we all seemed to try to find something more to say, exchanging self-conscious glances and smiles with one another.

"This is a really beautiful reception," Maggie uttered, trying to break the slight awkward silence between us all.

"It is, isn't it? Esme did a wonderful job with everything," I said.

We congratulated them as well, as Esme had recently conveyed the news to us that they were newly engaged. I was happy that Thomas had found his happiness. As they walked away to grab a drink and some hors d'oeuvres, I was admittedly, for just a moment, a bit envious of them for the future they would have with countless children. I stared after them with my smile fading, my mind far away.

I felt arms around me, encasing me from behind, and I was immediately enveloped in the scent of wood and spice once again. "You all right?" Emmett asked, pressing his lips to my right temple.

I smiled immediately, as I was figuratively and quite literally surrounded by my own life's sunshine. "I'm just fine, thank you." I turned to face him. "But, it's time for me to change out of this gown and into something new."

He growled softly, a corner of his lip turning up in a partial smile. "Need any help?" he volunteered, his eyes deep with mischievous, playful lust.

"I think I can manage, but thank you. Besides, I want it to be surprise, so I can see your face when you see me next."

His nose flared as he grinned excitedly at me. "All right, you win."

"So if you'll excuse me," I said stepping back. As I watched his face fall as I pulled away from him I whispered, "I won't be long, I promise."

I flew up the staircase, Esme right behind me. She helped me out of my wedding gown and into a sexy, champagne-colored satin Madeleine Vionnet gown. It was a sleeveless bias cut gown with a sexy, low, draped back, and a sweeping train. It positively oozed of seductive glamour.

Esme helped me let my hair down, parting my hair to the side and letting it fall in a perfect, golden finger wave on one side of my face, the other side pinned up with a gorgeous crystal hairpin. She helped me transfer the Platt family brooch from my ceremony dress to the left strap of my gown and then sent me to the top of the staircase. There I waited for the announcement that we would be introduced before dinner.

They called us for our first dance as husband and wife, and as I descended the staircase, I was met once again with adoring eyes of melted honey and a smile framed by the dimples that rocked my whole being. He stood proudly at the foot of the stairs, his hand stretched out in an offer to take mine, his eyes appraising me from head to toe.

"To borrow a word from Edward, you're completely _exquisite_." I wasn't sure if it was the occasion, but it charmed me to pieces to hear Emmett speak so eloquently.

"Thank you," I whispered, I smiled back at him, taking his hand and letting him lead me through the applauding crowd.

To my delight, a familiar song began to play as he escorted me to the middle of the dance floor. It was the first song we ever danced to, even before we'd admitted our feelings, though they were definitely there with us in the electricity between our bodies as he led me around the living room that one night. The memory was just a fleeting thought as I turned my attention back to our first dance at our wedding.

Emmett pulled away to whirl me around once in a while, leading us into a dance as the crowd applauded our theatrical show. "Night and day," he hummed in his lovely bass voice, "you are the one. Only you beneath the stars and under the sun." His lips didn't move enough for people to see, and he sang too softly for any of our guests to hear, the movement of his lips against my ear only during the moments when he held me close.

Flashes of light from cameras owned by four of the wealthiest Wise County families went off from every direction throughout the course of the night, with the only break being during dinner. People giggled as we made a show of feeding each other our dinner of pheasant under glass, though Emmett and I were dropping most of it in the napkins in our laps, too fast for human eyes to detect.

We were both sports during the cutting of the five tier cake that none of us would ever care to eat, each taking a turn to bite a piece. The four cameras clicked feverishly in our direction. I could faintly remember a time when I adored such confectionary treats, and I tried to keep that memory in mind as I forced a swallow of it down my throat.

I was able to smash cake into Emmett's face, but upon my insistence, he didn't bother to try it on me. I refused to let him ruin my make up. He successfully got his own payback by kissing me right after I'd smeared icing all over his lips and nose, getting it on my face in the process. I took a deep breath and fought the urge to get upset at him for attempting to mess up my make-up on my wedding day. I knew I needed to be a good sport, as this was just as much his day as it was mine.

The single ladies gathered in the center of the dance floor, many of which were daughters of Carlisle's associates at the hospital, of whom I'd never met before. I tossed the bouquet in the general direction of all the ladies, unsure who I wanted to catch it.

I nearly jumped for joy, clapping my hands excitedly as I realized that Maggie Dickson had caught it, holding it in her hands with a rosy flush in her cheeks. I'd forgotten about tossing it in her direction, but suddenly was thrilled that she was the successful single lady in the exuberant crowd.

I grew a bit rigid in my chair as Emmett dutifully removed my garter from my leg with his teeth in front of everyone. I could hear Carlisle and Esme giggle, and even Edward chuckled and hollered at us.

As all the bachelors convened to the center of the room, Emmett made his way to stand a few feet from the crowd, keeping his back towards the men. He winked at me as he tossed the garter over his shoulder, and, just as sure as I was that he planned it, it landed in the hands of Thomas Kent.

I laughed, ready to give him a hard time about his choice of bachelor when I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.

"Care to have a dance with the Father of the Bride?" Carlisle asked, and his arm was bent toward me as he motioned towards the floor.

"Of course!" I said as he whisked me away. It was a current song by Fred Astaire called "The Way You Look Tonight," featured in the recent film, _Swing Time_. We spun around like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, capturing the crowd's attention once again. I floated along with him, elated to be in the center of attention, marveled by everyone around me.

Emmett, Esme, and Edward watched with beaming faces from the sidelines before Emmett took Esme for a twirl on the dance floor as well. Three quarters of the way through the song, Emmett and Carlisle switched, leaving me to dance with Emmett again.

"I saw what you did for Thomas Kent," I said, eyeing him suspiciously, before he lifted his arm to lead me into a turn.

He grinned sheepishly. "Well, I just wanted to ensure he was happy." He studied my facial expression before he amended, "Err… happily attached to someone _else _for the rest of his life."

I chuckled at his sneakiness, letting him throw me into a dip, before popping me back up onto my feet.

He spun me around again, and when that song ended, we were able to dance happily with others. Edward even cut in to dance with me. Although it was slightly awkward, I had to admit, I had fun dancing with my only brother.

"You know, I was going to ask you to be our musician for the ceremony," I said, filling the awkward silence between us as we swayed to the beat.

A corner of his mouth curled up in modest delight. "I know."

Of course he did. "Emmett beat me to it by asking you to be his best man."

"Yes, I know," he said again.

Why do I even bother telling him anything?

"Because," Edward muttered, "you want to say something nice… for a change." The song was coming to an end, and we were slowing our movements.

I sighed, shaking my head. "I guess so."

He escorted me off of the dance floor as the song came to a close. "Well, for what it's worth, I would have been happy to play at your wedding."

I smiled at him. "Good, because I'd love to have you play the next time we have one."

"Next time?" He gave me a mocking grin, throwing his head back in phony astonishment. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You do love the attention."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I love Emmett more."

He nodded his head. "For once, I cannot argue with you, Rosalie."

"It's set then," I said, with confidence. "You will be our musician for our next one."

"Well that's a wonderful idea," Esme mused as we joined her on the sidelines. "Rosalie can play the bridal march at your wedding someday," she said, turning to Edward and rubbing his back.

"_My_ wedding?" Edward asked.

"His wedding?" I scoffed on top of him, only mine was in mock of such a statement.

"Well, you never know," Esme suggested, her eyes hopeful. "Did you think you were going to get married in this life, Rosalie?"

I considered it for a moment. "I don't suppose I did."

"I still think it's a far cry from reality," Edward uttered, shaking his head playfully.

I looked at my brother from the corner of my eye. "I must say, I agree with him. It's not very realistic."

"I don't know, Rose. Edward is a loveable soul. I'm sure he'd find his match someday."

I snorted, completely skeptical of such a possibility as Esme placed a reassuring arm around a doubtful Edward.

"Did I miss anything?" Emmett asked, coming from behind me and threading his arms through mine and around my waist.

"No, nothing at all." I said, my lips turning up at the corners as I spun around to face him and press my lips to his. Poor Edward would never feel happiness like this. It wasn't like I wanted him alone for the rest of his life, but that I knew he'd never find anyone interesting. After all, he'd never taken heed of me before, so who else could he ever consider, much less desire?

The evening was a wonderful time, but it was long, and before we knew it, dawn was approaching. It took only a moment to realize that we had a flight to catch—testing the new technology of transatlantic air travel—and whatever alone time Emmett and I had planned for earlier to consummate our marriage wasn't going to happen anymore. I was a bit disappointed, but I was suddenly curious that Emmett, although just as let down, still seemed a bit excited about leaving. I studied how energetic he was as he loaded my luggage into Edward's Volvo. Edward was to take us to the airport in just a short time.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" I pressed again. I'd been pressing for quite some time, even weeks before the wedding. However, Emmett had been quite insistent on the honeymoon being a surprise.

"Nope," he said, with a smirk on his face and his nose turned in the air.

I turned to Edward who was putting his gloves and hat on. _Will you tell me?_ I asked him silently.

Edward smirked before giving me a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

_Of course you wouldn't. You're no fun,_ I whined back to him before turning back to Emmett. "Well it would be nice to know where we're going so I could pack accordingly. All you said was that it was going to be warm."

Emmett narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Nope. Not gonna tell ya," he persisted.

Esme and Carlisle had stepped out by then, running to us both hugs.

"Have a great time," Esme exclaimed. "When you get back, all your things will have been moved to Hoquiam."

"You sure you don't need my help with the move?" Emmett asked. "I mean, you can always wait 'till we get back."

"Nonsense, have your fun. We can certainly move all of these things ourselves. Half of the furniture is on a train to Washington right now."

I ran inside, realizing I'd left my hat box in the living room. As I ran in to pick it up, I felt a sudden twinge of sadness that the house was… empty.

I knew this day would come, but I never expected this sudden pang of loneliness, however small it was. I knew that we would move every so often, to keep with the human charade. I knew that our un-aging bodies would make that a requirement if we were to keep our anonymity. I was sure that one day, decades, centuries from now, I wasn't going to care. However, at this moment, I did.

I'd miss this house, and the land around it where I'd shared precious moments with Emmett. I'd miss my bedroom, and the way Emmett would sneak in through my window. I'd miss the garage where I'd learned to tune my first car. I'd miss our special glen out in the Shenandoah forest, where Emmett and I would look at the stars and share our lives with one another. I'd miss running into Maggie and Thomas, even though half of me was selfishly thankful I wouldn't have to see them grow old and bear children. I'd miss my being able to take a drive to Rochester; though I know I'd never go back now, the convenience would be missed.

I ran my fingers along a curtain before my eyes swept the perimeter of the living room. We'd cleaned it so efficiently that it didn't even look like there was a wedding here just hours ago. It was just... empty. It was funny the way things worked. I hated how small town this place was, yet now I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to it.

"You ready to go?" Emmett asked, impatience in his tone, poking his head into the front door.

I cleared my throat, and put on a pleasant face. "Yes, I am."

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm well, thank you," I said.

He took my arm, and escorted me to the car, going on and on about how excited he was about the trip. I was excited as well, but I found that I was still a bit cheerless to leave.

Edward started the car, peeling out of our driveway in his normal speed of driving.

In the rear view mirror, I took one last look at our home in Appalachia, and, with a slightly heavy heart, watched the town pass us by in the car.

He couldn't hide that we were on a flight to Spain as they announced our decent into Madrid, even though he tried to keep me away during our flight check-in. I grew with anticipation, expecting a European honeymoon, until I realized we had a connecting flight to another country. It wasn't a surprise to me that at our connecting flight I saw that we were headed to another destination, and another country, maybe even another continent. I struggled to suppress my disappointment; as such a choice in any unique destination was far from traditional... and it made me a bit nervous.

The flight attendant made an announcement, and I heard where we were headed to. Tanzania, a British protectorate, was our destination. I should've guessed we were going to Africa. I was full of skepticism. I didn't have any idea what Africa was like, or if I'd enjoy it here.

After landing in the Kilimanjaro International Airport, we took a shuttle to the coast. It was a few hours long, passing by small villages, and plains wooded with trees, plants, and wildlife I'd never seen before. My jaw dropped in amazement as we neared the coast.

I'd never seen the tropical rainforest, living most of my life in the northern part of the east coast. I'd only seen the tropics in photo books and magazines, all of which of course, were not in color. The photos of different palm tree beaches didn't do the island justice, and the lush green of these palm trees and other exotic plants were a shock as well as a treat for my eyes.

We hopped onto a small, motorized boat with a sail, operated by a young man of smooth ebony skin. He looked rather petrified of us, but Emmett made a point to be kind to him, which seemed to ease him somewhat. It shocked the boy, as well as me, that Emmett could speak in their foreign tongue. I made note to ask him later when he had the time to pick up Swahili.

However, I still sensed that the young man watched us from the corner of his eyes, skeptical of whom we were, possibly what we were. It was cloudy, which we were thankful for, but we still kept ourselves in long sleeves, a hat and gloves to hide our skin from the sun's rays, regardless of the blistering heat.

I stared in amazement at the large island that we were approaching.

I'd never seen sand this white and powdery before, or water this bright and blue. Below us the water was clear as glass. Through the crystal blue water you could see the blue-tinged white sand, fish swimming by, and dark patches of what Emmett explained were coral reefs and seaweed. Nothing could compare to it. I realized then that I had lived a very sheltered, limited life. I turned once again to my husband, who was just as enamored by the view as I was.

"Are we here?" I asked, wondering if this was our final destination. It had to be; there couldn't be anything better than this little heaven on earth.

Feeling my eyes on him, he switched his gaze to me. He gave me that infamous half-smile, before pressing his lips to my forehead, a confirmation to my question. "Welcome to Zanzibar, babe," he whispered under his breath.

We stepped out of the boat and into the water, the boy holding his hand out to me to assist me out of the boat. Any other time I would be upset to get my clothing dirty and wet, but with such a gorgeous setting, I welcomed it, happily splashing with my legs through the water to the shore with some of my luggage.

I felt Emmett's thrilled eyes watching me, hearing his animated chuckle at my excitement. He was energized by my reaction.

The boy helped Emmett and I unload our luggage -well, my luggage, really- out of the boat before Emmett slipped him a wad of Tanzanian shillings. The boy's eyes grew wide, and Emmett thanked him quickly in their native tongue before turning to me.

"I can't believe you learned Swahili so quickly," I mused.

He winked at me. "Guess I'm just extraordinary," he sighed, nonchalantly

"I guess you are."

I took another look at the stretch of beach and the nature around it.

I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous white sand beaches overlooking the bright, turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean. With Carlisle's help through his extensive travel connections, Emmett had been able to rent out a secluded piece of wilderness that extended to our own private beach and authentic wooden bungalow. My eyes took in the view of the majestic waters, different shades of blue and green that indicated its various depths, kissing the sugary soft beach, with palm trees in the foreground.

"How do you like paradise?" he whispered in my ear, his lips lightly tickling my earlobes.

He scooped me up in his arms, swinging my legs around so that he could catch them on his forearm as he carried me effortlessly over the threshold. My arms wrapped around his neck instinctively as my eyes studied his face, full of excitement as he showed me into the bungalow, a very modest structure made of wood—the roof covered in leaves and branches of an indigenous plant.

I managed to pull my eyes away from him to look around as he placed me gently on my feet. In the bungalow was a large, king-sized bed with netting flowing down on it from the ceiling, to ward away mosquitoes, I supposed. Two rattan chairs on the opposite end with a small rattan coffee table served as a conversation area.

I noticed as I glanced back at Emmett that he studied me with worry now rather than excitement. "So… uh… what do you think?"

I realized that he was concerned that I may not like how humble of a space this was, but as I considered it right there, this would be all we needed, considering we would hunt and do other activities far away from here. "It's just fine."

He arched a brow in question. "Really?"

"Yes, Emmett," I assured him, "really. This is just right… just what we needed." And it was. We were only here for thirteen days. Had it been for longer I'm sure my demands would be much higher, but as it was, I recognized that this was a temporary vacation.

"Good," he smiled, stepping to close the distance between us and wrapping his arms around my frame. "I'm glad."

I laughed. "And what if I wasn't pleased?"

"Hmm." He considered it for a moment, his eyes turning up to the ceiling before switching back to me. "Then I'd have to please you myself." There was a palpable longing just beneath the playfulness in his voice.

I brushed my lips against his teasingly, pulling away to leaving him hanging, just as his mouth responded to part my lips with his. I arched a brow at him in a challenging expression. "Does that mean you won't do that for me now?"

The question barely left my lips before he lunged at me, picking me up by my ribcage with his hands, and lifting me to throw me on the bed lightly. I squealed with delight and laughter as he approached me like a tiger with a devilish grin.

I was a bit surprised that he didn't throw himself on me like I expected him to. He sat behind me on the bed instead, his lips tenderly caressing the skin on my nape as his fingers worked to unbutton the front of my dress.

His hands gently cupped my breasts over my slip and brassiere as our mouths fought to win over the other. Ever so slowly, he turned me to face him.

He pulled off a strap of my slip over one shoulder, slowly revealing one of my breasts. He let the back of his hand glide up and down my mound of flesh, and almost immediately, my nipple stiffened at the light friction of his skin on mine. Between the knuckles of his index and middle fingers, he pinched the small peak that formed, as his mouth placed small, languid strokes along my neck and shoulders.

"No," he ordered, gently. "Lay down." He took two steps back, his eyes never leaving me. "I want to look at you."

I had always known that I was beautiful, and that my body was just so, but his stare at me with utter devotion and a burning desire just beneath it threw me for a loop. My breathing became labored as every part of my body ached with keenness of what was to come next.

His hands made a thorough examination of my torso, his fingertips lightly caressing at my skin. I shivered at his touch. His eyes switched to my face with every movement or sound I made before falling back low to watch where his hands worked on my body. He leaned forward once in a while, letting his lips follow the trail of his fingers. He lead himself to my nipple, pinching, rubbing, licking gently before switching to the other.

His fingers traced at the scars that framed my nipple from the bite he once bestowed upon me. Months ago, I would have shied away from him paying attention to them, furious at him for ruining my perfection. Months ago, he would've avoided them as well, remorseful for hurting me.

Now, however, I wasn't ashamed anymore. My mind held no ounce of fury. I didn't believe that they were imperfections on my body that tarnished me forever. They were now his markings, like a tattoo, not only forever etched onto my flesh, but into my soul. I had grown in our love that much, to acknowledge such a now minor detail in our fairytale.

For the next several steamy moments, we both lost ourselves in utter bliss, as we were always meant to do as husband and wife.

We stayed in the last position, exhausted and leaning onto each other as we were trapped into each other's embrace.

"I like this," he admitted as his breath caught up with the rest of him.

"I do, too," I agreed.

I felt his breath as he chuckled against my forehead before he planted a loving kiss against it. "I love you, my wife."

I smiled against his shoulder, rubbing my cheek against his cinnamon-cedar-scented flesh. "I love you, too, my husband."

We spent the next morning repairing the bed and the wall of the bungalow that our headboard leaned against. It seemed we couldn't touch anything without destroying it, no matter how careful we were.

The next few days were filled with all sorts of activities the land could offer. We took a lovely hot balloon safari ride over the gorgeous Serengeti planes. We experienced a dirt safari ride across Lake Manyara national park, and then another day we headed on foot to the Ngorongoro crater.

One evening, I lay with him on the porch of our bungalow, on a rattan lounge chair. We had just made love underneath the stars with only a blanket between our bodies and the sand, before Emmett scooped me up to place me on the lounger with him. We'd spent a long day running the Serengeti plains, exploring on foot to hunt and just to see the sights, and now it was our time just to breathe and enjoy the tropical ambiance. There was no sound but our breathing, palm tree leaves brushing against each other in the breeze, and the hiss of the calm ocean waves kissing the sand on the beach.

I lay on my hand with my head buried in the nook created by the dip between his arm and chest. His forearm was lifted and hovering above me, ever so lightly letting his fingers draw a lazy line back and forth from my elbow to my shoulder. The feel of his nails grazing softly against my skin was soothing.

I had a question to ask, however, out of my own curiosity; one last question that stemmed from an earlier insecurity. "A question," I murmured against his heavenly scented skin. I felt his cheek flex against my forehead, sure that his face changed into a smile.

"I'm sure I've got an answer," he prompted me.

"Did you ever feel any sort of… resentment towards me?" I worded it carefully, knowing I'd need to explain further. It was the best way I could describe it.

"Resentment?" he echoed.

I took a deep breath. "That I was selfish enough to change you—without giving you a choice."

A sound escaped from his lips, like a flabbergasted scoff. "No," he breathed, bewilderment in his whisper. "What made you think of that?"

I was quiet, thoughtful. He wasn't me—I knew that—but being that I always minded that I'd never been given a choice, couldn't be too sure he'd ever felt the same. Though I was almost sure what his answer would be, I could never be completely positive. I wanted to make certain there were no secrets between us, especially starting a life together. "I'm just curious. In all this time, were you ever upset with me, angry that I wasn't strong enough to _not_ take you? Honestly."

I felt his lips press against my forehead before he inhaled, placing his nose into my hair. "No. Never." He sternly responded, his voice reverberating through my locks. The force in his tone gave his answer finality. He took his opposite hand to my chin as he turned slightly to meet my gaze. "You can be a silly broad, you know that?"

A breathy chuckle spilled from my lips.

He furrowed his brow in disbelief. "How could I ever resent you for bringing me into this world? Into this life with you? Really? Haven't we had this discussion before?"

"Not exactly this discussion, no. Just what I thought about this life is all we discussed. I just want to make sure I've left no stone unturned. I know we've discussed plenty, but never exactly this."

He scoffed lightly. "Be upset with you? Not at all. Not about this. How else would I know how good life can be?"

"But not given a choice, for you to even say _yes_. For you to even know what you're getting yourself into. Didn't you say you were prepared to die that night, with the bear, if you had?" I'd known this from the first night we both confessed our love to each other. Among the many things we revealed, I knew that right before I found him that he was prepared to die with the full life he'd lived up to that point. He would have been all right to reunite with his nana and his mother.

His eyes held a far-away look at my statement, unfocused. They sharpened quickly, darting to my eyes. "Maybe, but that doesn't change anything," His features turned tender as he gazed at me for longer. "That feeling was beside the point, and it wasn't how I felt after my human eyes laid on this face right here." He lifted his hand to caress my cheek. "I am and always have been grateful that you found me. Changed me. Gave me a second chance at life."

A corner of my mouth curled up into a crooked smile.

"And I don't think you were selfish at all," he amended.

My gaze fell past him as I stared at his shoulder, but he took my chin into his hand again to keep me looking at him. He was being too generous again. It was selfish. I could admit it. Out loud even.

Reading my expression, he sighed. "Hey, look at me. Not selfish, you hear?"

I switched my eyes to his, and I pressed my lips into a hard line.

"Why?" he asked, cocking a brow. "Do you resent your decision?"

"No, of course not," I answered immediately. "Now who's the silly one?"

"You started it," he chuckled.

My eyes closed at the sound of his laugh. It was the sound I lived for now.

"Look at me, Rose," he insisted.

I opened my eyes slowly, and did not regret the sight of the man before me. His look of adoration was every bit the reward of all of my struggles in the past year to get him to notice me.

"You were _not_ selfish," he urged. "I think… I think you were just being human."

My eyes tightened at his words.

"Well, you know what I mean," he corrected himself, reading the tiny change in my expression.

My lips twitched. He was so perceptive.

"Human, but certainly not selfish," he continued. "I'd gladly lie with you here for as long as the earth stood. I can't imagine living without looking to your eyes again, or breathing your scent. I've felt that since you found me. If I died after seeing you, it would've been a waste. Just look what'd I'd be missing. I need to smell the scent of your hair every now and again or else I'd go crazy."

"Roses and vanilla," I whispered in a giggle. He'd told me once what I'd smelled like to him, much like his cinnamon and cedar was to me.

"Yes," he breathed, leaning into me. "Roses and vanilla," he barely echoed in a soft sigh. "My heaven on earth."

I watched his blissful expression as he breathed the scent of my hair, and didn't question him any further. I'd realized at that moment that this would be the last of my questions… of my questioning anything about him—or about us for the matter—ever. There were no more stones left unturned, and I would live this immortal life beside the love of my existence without any more insecurities. At that moment, I suddenly felt that I could sit up straight, and no matter how exposed I and vulnerable I was to this man, he would be strong enough to be my rock, my hero. With that, I put my questions to rest, for the rest of the honeymoon trip, and most likely for the rest of eternity.

In the evenings we hunted on the mainland well into other surrounding countries of Tanzania, in order to keep our anonymity. The fierce, determined, yet gratified look on his face as we hunted after cheetahs, gazelles, and game we'd never seen before was inspiring to me, as well as the call of new blood intriguing to our diet. Whatever fun he was having was radiating from within him, flowing out around him; infectious. I couldn't help but enjoy every minute of it in both ways.

It was another evening just a few days before our departure.

We'd just swam to the Zanzibar shore, our bellies full and happy with lion blood. The moonlight cast over the beach, giving it a bluish white glow. Emmet laid himself across the sand, relaxing and gazing at the stars. I came in from the water, deciding to take a nice swim after the hunt.

I stood above him, his eyes shut like he was sleeping. Water dripped from my hair and onto his face, and his eyes squeezed shut in reaction, his mouth stretching into a grin as he wiped the drops away.

"Sorry," I breathed. "Don't you want to swim anymore?" I asked him.

He shook his head silently, eyes still shut.

My eyes narrowed, and I leaned closer to study him.

Emmett was normally the active one, begging _me_ to do things with him. "Are you well?" I asked.

His lips twitched and just as one eye lifted open, his arm grabbed mine to pull me toward him with such force that I fell on top of him.

I quickly scrambled to straddle him, my knees on either side of his hips.

"I'm fine now," he answered in a raspy voice.

I squirmed to sit up from him, but his arms curled around mine, like a steel trap. The movement caused me to press my warmth against him, and I could feel his nature begin to rise beneath his short pants.

One look from him and I knew that in this moment I was doomed to a wicked, naughty fate.

I didn't complain. In fact, I welcomed the challenge. "Let's make you better than fine, then," I growled, wiggling my brows at him.

I laughed as shock crossed his features before they turned back to an openly delighted expression.

He welcomed my lips onto his, and in seconds, our clothes were history.

We returned to our new home, our flight back arriving in the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. We came bearing small gifts for all three members of our family, as well as a few pieces of decorative accents for the new Hoquiam house that we knew Esme and Carlisle would appreciate. My eyes feasted on the gorgeous new Cullen home. Esme told me that she had modeled the structure after Falling Water, by Frank Lloyd Wright. She even placed beside a small stream, minus the waterfall from Wright's original structure.

It was yet another house that seemed out of place in the forest of squishy green, and far from our Art Deco style estate in Appalachia. Instead of round corners, they were all straight, constructed with reinforced concrete and slab. It was organic, marrying nature and man, very sleek and ultra modern with obvious influences from Japanese Architecture. You had to admire the cantilevered terraces and quarried stone walls that just added the best touches that no one could master like Esme, or Mr. Wright himself.

We had loaded our luggage into the living room and were ready to take it into our new bedroom, but Carlisle and Esme insisted that we go for a hunt before that. I wondered why they exchanged glances with each other the way they did. It was like they were all in on a secret that neither I nor Emmett knew about—like they were hiding something. They did the same with Edward, but then I decided I didn't care since I saw they had smiles on their faces and dismissed it quickly. Smiles didn't equal bad news, so I wasn't worried.

Esme had decided to stay behind, so Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and I decided to hunt in the nearby forest, heading northwest, along the grey Pacific coast. The forest was certainly different here, the trees three times as tall as the forests on the east coast. The bases of such trees as well as the grass and rock on the floor were covered in a squishy, spongy green. The cliffs were decidedly rockier, with beaches covered in massive city like patches of driftwood. The clouds were consistently overcast, and the water of the ocean was a rolling grey, green, and white.

We'd found a herd of elk to feast on, and I hadn't realized how famished I was until I had one's neck underneath my teeth.

As we drank, there was a disturbance in the air.

There was a stench—one that was putrid enough to burn nose hairs if it were possible. It reeked of something like… a wet dog.

At that moment, Edward halted, growing completely rigid before hissing and crouching into a defensive position.

His reaction set all of us off into the same position, Emmett immediately jumping protectively in front of me, and then we heard it.

The rumbling of feet… I analyzed the sound, that there had to be several four-legged creatures, and grizzly snarling. I would've thought it _was_ a grizzly, but the scent was far too foul.

As many as seven mammoth sized creatures emerged from the trees, detaching themselves from the shadows, inching towards us. They were huge, decidedly canine but standing taller than horses on all four legs.

I'd never seen creatures quite like these, but something was different, and terribly wrong.

We crouched lower, anxious, expecting. Emmett growled lowly, but Carlisle moved to place himself before all of us, holding his arm out to us.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as my senses and sudden instinct for survival took hold of me. Something was horribly out of place with these approaching animals, and every cell in my body seemed to be programmed to feel hostility and animosity towards them.

The sudden hatred was like second nature—as innate as my feelings for Emmett.

"Wolves," Edward murmured underneath his breath.

"That can't be," Carlisle whispered.

As they edged closer, Edward grew stiff. "_Were_wolves," he corrected himself.

The word sent an automatic growl through all of our teeth. I knew of folklore and vampire books that werewolves were our enemies, but I regarded it as folklore. However, right at this second—to see this in real life, right in front of me—I believed it.

Every cell in my body felt the oncoming battle that was about to occur. My lips curled behind my teeth, exposing the perfect, tiny, white razors, ready to rip flesh to shreds. A hiss escaped from my lips as I regarded the approaching animals.

With all of crouched defensively, we waited eagerly to meet an end—but whether it was theirs or ours, we weren't too sure.

We would just have to see…

**

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**

**Author's Note**:

Thank you so much for your patience! I apologize for how long it's taken to get this chapter out. I was in Asia for a bit, and I also had to move, as well as planning my wedding. Real life has gotten the best of both me, as well as my beta.

Chapter 27, named "Destruction" will be my last chapter. It is currently 75% written, at 10 pages long and about 9600 words. Hope to get that out within about 3 to 4 weeks. I will be back again later this summer to add the Prologue and Epilogue to this story.

Also in the works is Chapters 3 and 4 of "Strength and Remorse", which is a condensed version of Emmett's side to this story.

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing.**

**Got Twitter? Follow me for the latest updates to all of my fics! achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the V&P thread in the forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	29. Chapter 28: Demolition

**Chapter Specific Warning: In the grand tradition of the freakiest couple in the Twilight Saga, I will end this with a HUGE BANG.. .again! And no, I'm not gonna even apologize for the smut that goes on in this last chapter! I clearly marked this fic as NC-17/MA! Deal with it!**

**Should anyone care to read a non-explicit version of this story, you can find the edited, M rated version on twilighted or myvampfiction.**

_**To better adhere to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version.**_

To my beta, Lisa, aka cfmom, who is an amazing friend: Thank you so much for taking over this story early on when it was in need of some thorough editing and feedback. My only regret was that you weren't my beta from the beginning.

To my readers, threadsters, reviewers, tweeters, my friends: thank you, thank you so much for your support of this fic. I've enjoyed writing this as well as all of your continued enthusiasm for Emmett and Rosalie and their beginnings. Thank you for sharing in the love, laughter, and tears through this whole saga.

Please stay tuned, as I will be returning **later summer** to bring you an **Epilogue (Transformed)** and a **Prologue (Forks)** to this story. Also stay tuned for future chapters Strength and Remorse, Emmett's side of this story.

**The Playlist:**

Alexandre Desplat – Wolves Vs. Vampire

Busta Rhymes – Break Ya Neck

112 – You Already Know

Avant – Read Your Mind

David Banner - Play

Color me Badd – Sexual Capacity

Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy

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**Chapter 28: Demolition**

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"Werewolves," Carlisle echoed in bewilderment, his eyes turned to Edward and then back to the approaching animals. "How do you know?"

"I hear them," Edward replied in a tense whisper. "They have thoughts. Full, coherent, _human_ thoughts."

It was completely unexpected, these strange creatures approaching us without fear. But even more unexpected was my unexplainable hatred for them. I was completely flooded with loathing and abhorrence.

They drew near in a V-shaped formation, the head of the V the farthest away from us—a reddish-brown wolf, taller and larger than the others in musculature.

In the quick moments of their approach, we were able to make a quick exchange between one another.

Their foul stench continued to burn my fine nose hairs. "God, they reek," I complained.

Emmett rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "They'd make one hell of a meal."

"But they stink," I argued, wrinkling my nose.

Edward's eyes tightened with suspicion. "Their scent makes sense. They shouldn't be appealing to us," he whispered.

"Werewolves?" Carlisle mused, still mystified. "In Washington?"

"Our natural enemies," Edward confirmed under his breath. "And they don't plan to let us live."

I heard a neck crack and turned to see my husband rolling his head on his shoulders. "Really?" Emmett scoffed before he snarled threateningly at the two wolves. "Kill _us_?" he mocked. "Stinky mutts. They can try. I'll totally take them all."

With that statement, the wolf closest to us lurched at him, snapping his jaws at my husband.

And the dancing began as quick as lightening between them both, Emmett hovering in front of me in a protective manner. I snarled and slapped my teeth in defense as well, but I wasn't as engaged. I wasn't about to ruin my hair or my clothes if Edward and Emmett could take them.

Carlisle tried to place himself between them. "This stops now!" he demanded.

Their noses were mere inches from each other as they continued to dance around one another, dodging each other's teeth. Both creatures glowering at each other with equally razor sharp teeth. I suddenly became territorial, lunging forward, past Carlisle to snarl beside Emmett.

"Stop!" Carlisle placed himself between Emmett and the animals, his hand restraining me from getting any further past him. "There will be no killing of any kind today," he commanded, yet his voice was soothing.

The wolf closest to us on our left—the one with chocolate fur—snarled at us just as ferociously, but didn't move from their formation.

I hissed back at him, my body at full crouch, knowing that while Emmett could probably handle the grey one himself, he would need help if a second one jumped in.

But as this chocolate-furred wolf's brown eyes caught mine, it seemed his brows lifted in wonder, his head cocking to the side. The expression was mirrored almost immediately by the rest of the pack—by all but the one that was snapping his large incisors at my husband.

Emmett snapped his teeth back in response, growling, his lips curled behind them, exposing their pristine, white sharpness in full attack mode. "C'mon, Fido, show me what you got," he egged on in his booming tone, prancing in a circle with his fists in front of him like it was a boxing match.

Carlisle placed his hand on Emmett's chest again, planting his feet firmly on the ground between his son and the wolf.

A snarl rose from the largest wolf and seemed to travel through each animal until it reached the wolf closest to us. When it reached the grey wolf, he abruptly backed away from Emmett.

I was shocked at the sudden composure the grey wolf obtained, like it was scolded and told to withdraw. It was rather odd. There was something about the way these animals moved almost in synchronization to stand across the paddock from us that let me know these weren't your everyday normal creatures. It all confirmed the label Edward had given them: werewolves.

That's when I noticed from the corner of my eye that the largest wolf was retreating into the dark, becoming one once again with the shadows of the groove of trees from which they had emerged.

"Aww, please! Is that all you've got, flea bag?" Emmett pressed over Carlisle's shoulder, continuing move and jog side to side, light on his feet.

"Emmett, stop that right now," Carlisle ordered sternly through his teeth, as he eyed Emmett in warning.

Emmett's growl softened before he gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine," he grumbled, disappointedly. He took one, but just one, step back from where Carlisle stood, straightening his posture.

Edward had lifted his arms to both his brother and father—Carlisle in acknowledgement of the largest wolf's retreat, and to Emmett in restraint. "Wait," he instructed. "Something's happening."

From that same point of the woods, a tall man dressed in moccasins with long dark hair and russet skin came walking towards us. He was lofty, about as tall as Emmett with a well defined body, though I believe next to Emmett he'd still be slight.

He wore no shirt or shoes, with a pair of buckskin pants that were cut off right below the knee. His features were more broad than ours, with eyes further apart, and a broader nose. The planes of his face were hardened subtly, skin tightened and aged, with a thick neck and shoulders. He would've been handsome if I didn't have an unexplainable animosity towards him that seemed to come to me as easily as falling in love with my husband.

The two wolves to our immediate left and right growled as we assessed the human, crouching forward protectively.

"Step back," the man ordered the two, who both reluctantly backed down.

"Ah, see… a truce," Carlisle concluded in a low voice, directing his assumption to us.

All three of us scoffed immediately.

"We're not the first they've come across," Edward warned, picking their minds. He leaned into Carlisle, dropping his voice and speaking quickly in hopes that they couldn't pick up on it. "We are natural enemies, Carlisle, there will be no truce."

"Nonsense," Carlisle insisted, his voice impatient with the three of us. He turned back to the wolves, taking a courageous step forward to the tall, russet skinned man.

Carlisle raised his hands, palms forward. "We mean no harm. Just hunting," he explained. "Please, allow me to introduce myself."

"You dare trespass on our land?" The man asked, not interested in any formal introductions. His tone was of authoritative strength. "Hunt our people?"

"No, that is not what we're doing," Carlisle corrected him. "We don't hunt humans."

The man scoffed, and his dark eyes were full of distrust.

"We're not like others of our kind, I guarantee that. We're different." He held his hand out to the human, eliciting snarls from the pack of wolves. "I'm Carlisle," he continued, ignoring their reaction, "and this is my family."

"Family," he mocked. The man stared at Carlisle's stark white hand, leaning back as if Carlisle carried a communicable disease. "Cold one, I am not interested in shaking your hand."

"We come in peace," Carlisle insisted, "and we don't intend to hurt anyone."

"How can we be sure to trust you?" the man asked, stepping back.

"We are different. You must believe us. If we weren't, we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation." His hand was still held out to the Indian. "At least give us your name," Carlisle insisted, stretching his arm out.

"Ephraim," he sighed. "Ephraim Black. I am the chief of the Quileute tribe. These are my brothers, my people. _My_ family. I protect my family with my all. And you—your existence is a horrible, horrible disgrace to all of nature."

Emmett and I both snarled at his statement, the same growl echoed by the surrounding wolves. I immediately felt Edward's hand on my elbow. I turned to see he had his hand on both me and my husband, shaking his head at us.

"Ephraim, I assure you—"

"You stalk to kill on our lands," he interjected, "while our women and children run freely in this area." He was trembling, his anger bringing him to a boil.

Carlisle shook his head, his hands held out in front of him in a calming gesture. "We do not hunt humans."

"Cold one, that is all I know of your kind," he retorted. "And for that, you must die. We will see to it that you do, it's what we're built for. The reason we exist."

"Well then you are mistaken," Edward corrected him, "because not all of us are created equal."

The man's dark eyes darted to my brother. "I was not speaking to you, blood sucker."

Carlisle cleared his throat in an effort to divert Ephraim's attention. "We can come to a more civilized agreement then death. I assure you, Ephraim, that we are not here to harm people, much less kill them."

"Why should I trust you?" His eyes were still speculative, yet he stood, still listening.

I could tell that Carlisle was relieved that he seemed willing to hear all that Carlisle had to say. I was sure it wasn't that he thought we couldn't handle the mutts. It was that he detested the idea of bloodshed or a fight at all. "We're not here to harm you, or anyone for that matter. We survive on the blood of animals. Wildlife is our source of nutrition. We're not like most vampires. We're different, I guarantee that."

Ephraim's gaze flitted to our left, where the carcasses of elk still lay, dry and lifeless. It was all the evidence we'd need.

The grey wolf—the same that was ready to attack Emmett—snarled ferociously as something changed in Ephraim's features. It seemed he was contemplating something as he regarded my father's face.

"Calm down, Quil," Ephraim ordered, holding his hand out in the wolf's direction. "I don't think the leech is lying." Ephraim studied Carlisle with skepticism before switching his sight between each of us. "Your eyes are a strange color; not the normal color of other… cold ones. They're not the color of blood."

"Yes," Carlisle confirmed, "because we only feed on the blood of animals—not humans." I was sure he repeated himself for emphasis. They were certainly a stubborn bunch of dogs. He stepped courageously towards the dark skinned native. "Surely, you can see we're different. Animal blood turns our eyes yellow, instead of red."

Unmoving, Ephraim's expression turned apprehensive at Carlisle's approach, the proximity making the tribe's chief uneasy. The wolves snarled at their chief's rigid stance.

Ephraim's face changed suddenly. His brows furrowed in wonder, his head cocking to the side. "Huh, so it seems," he finally agreed, bewilderment in his expression. "You certainly are different." There was reluctance in his voice, like he'd just admitted to defeat. I was sure it pained him to see we weren't like the others—a missed opportunity to kill.

The other two wolves phased into human form, I recognized their physique, much like their leader. They had round muscles under the same red-brown skin, long, glossy black hair, and the way their expressions altered at exactly the same moment was just odd to me.

"You hunt on our lands—our animals!" the man exclaimed, stalking towards us with his hands in the air. I believed him to be the one who was ready to attack Emmett. "All beings are sacred to us. Who knows who or what else you'll be after, heartless leeches!"

"Quil, calm down," Ephraim ordered, grabbing the man's forearm.

"We apologize for hunting on your reservation," Edward said, making good eye contact with all three of them. "We didn't know it was claimed, and surely will never make that mistake in the future."

"Every land is claimed!" the other man shouted.

"Levy, please," Ephraim commanded. "Let them speak."

Both men uttered something in another language—their native dialect, I presumed.

Ephraim spoke back to them forcefully in their strange tongue, his eyes obviously giving them a warning. His tone was ominous, penetrating through even our own ears, and suddenly the other two were silent.

Carlisle stepped forward. "I am a doctor at a local hospital. A healer, if you will. I _treat_ humans. I save their lives everyday. That has to count for something. We don't need to do this if we don't have to. I am sure that you wouldn't want to lose one of your own over an issue that is nonexistent."

"A healer," Ephraim repeated to himself, eyeing him with wonder.

"Maybe we can come to an agreement. Something we can live with, so that we go our separate ways in peace. I know that your duty is to protect your people. I understand that. As the head of my own family, my own loved ones, I understand you completely. I must protect my own family as well. We are of the same in that sense."

Ephraim's expression was thoughtful, calculating. He chewed over such an agreement.

"We are most certainly _not_ 'of the same,'" the one called Quil growled, cutting through the small moment of silence.

Emmett snarled. "Look, pup, I've had just about enough of your mouth."

"Emmett," Edward and Carlisle reprimanded him.

Quil shoved his way to Ephraim, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning Ephraim to face him. He looked his chief in the eye. "I say we expose them to the pale faces! If you won't let us kill them, maybe they can light a match to them."

"Quil," the chief warned him.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why do they even get a say, Ephraim? If the pale faces knew they existed, they'd try to kill them as well. Why can't we?"

"Because neither of us _want_ to lose any of our family tonight if it's not necessary," Ephraim growled. "And you _will _make order, and let us speak."

As the chief turned his attention back to us, it suddenly came to me. Ephraim and Carlisle spoke leader to leader, and there was a mutual respect—a grave understanding. Though members of groups such as Emmett and Quil couldn't seem to comprehend their common stances, it didn't matter. Bloodshed was the least of their desires, if it wasn't needed.

"We won't set foot on your land again," Edward vowed. He couldn't help it, I figured, with his mental ability, that he naturally wanted to respond. Being so close to these animals put him on edge.

Ephraim, though displeased that Edward spoke again, nodded. "Yes, please be sure keep off of our lands. We would rather you not hunt on our territory, as I'd hate for you to force our hand into dealing with one of you."

"Is that a challenge?" Emmett snarled.

Quil and the wolves behind him growled back immediately.

Edward restrained Emmett, Carlisle lifting his arm as a signal for Emmett to calm down. He shot Emmett a look of warning before turning back to the Indians. "It won't happen again," Carlisle assured them. "You have my word on it."

"And you swear not to lay a hand on any people, ever," the one they called Levy asked.

"We swear," Carlisle ensured, raising his right hand at them. "If it's alright with you, I'd like for you to explain to us where your land begins and ends, so that we can better understand your area."

Edward and Carlisle stood, rubbing their chins as Ephraim drew out a map of their land on the soil before us with a wooden stick—a fallen branch from a nearby tree. He pointed out landmarks for reference, explaining the layout of their grounds.

Emmett and I never moved an inch from where we stood originally, only once in a while leaning over to look at the map. We kept a steady eye on the surrounding wolves as a precaution. Just because Carlisle put faith in them, doesn't mean it was automatic for the rest of us. Emmett stood close to me, always in front of me in a protective manner. It was adorable and annoying at the same time.

Once we finally understood the Quileute borders, it was now back to ironing out the treaty.

"You are not to bite a human—not to feed, not to change them into one of you. For no reason shall you even harm a hair on a human's head. Nothing will be allowable." Ephraim stated the conditions in his authoritative, ominous tone.

"You have our word. We do not plan on expanding our family any bigger than it already is, nor do we plan on feeding on anyone."

"You are to stay off of our reservation," Levy demanded. "Never set foot here again, you hear me?"

"Understood. That will not be a problem from here on out," Carlisle reassured him.

"So long as you don't harm any humans, we will be at peace," Ephraim uttered. "If you can keep this promise, we will not kill you or expose your existence to the pale faces."

"So let this be a treaty then, between my family and yours." Carlisle held out his alabaster hand once again towards Ephraim, who deliberated for a moment.

He took it into his large, copper-skinned fingers, shaking firmly. I could see his dark eyes widen as he flinched at Carlisle's icy touch.

Carlisle's hold was firm, not flinching at all.

Despite his apparent unease as he shook my father's hand, Ephraim confirmed, "A treaty to be honored forever."

We returned home with a new understanding of the world out there. We explained everything to Esme, who was worried sick about us as we told the story. She calmed down, however, when we explained the treaty to her, and assured her that none of us were in danger.

Emmett scoffed at the idea that we were in danger at all, fully confident that we could kill them ourselves. Carlisle's face soured at such an idea.

"Well, now that we've got that business out of the way," Carlisle segued, "Esme, I believe it's time for us to give your gift to Emmett and Rosalie."

"Gift?" I asked. "We have a gift? What gift? I love gifts!"

Emse tossed something shiny in the air, and I caught it effortlessly with one hand.

I was taken aback by the object. "Keys?" I asked.

She smiled roguishly. "Follow me," she answered swiftly, and she was off into the forest.

Emmett and I were quick to chase after her, Edward and Carlisle trailing behind us.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I caught the scent of freshly cut wood, barely dry clay, and freshly laid brick. No, it couldn't be.

"A house, Esme?" I asked.

She said nothing, her laughter trailing behind her as the family followed close behind me.

I looked over at Emmett whose eyes were already on me, a huge grin cracking across his face.

I'm sure my expression mirrored his, and I caught the faint scent of new construction—wood, plaster, cement, and brick.

And as a large thicket of trees began to thin out into a great opening, I saw a stretch of perfect green grass—a lawn. In the center of the vast lawn was a large structure, and I couldn't help but give out a squeal of delight.

It was glorious— a gorgeous three story mansion, a very ornate style of Art Deco. It was something you'd see in a picture of a magazine, found in a wealthy Old World countryside.

I turned to my mother in astonishment. "Esme, _this_? _This_ is our gift?"

"Yes, for Christmas, and for your wedding," she answered simply. "From your father and I."

Emmett picked her up, pulling her into one of his crushing bear hugs.

"Emmett, can't breathe," she complained, playfully.

"Sorry," he sighed pulling away.

She insisted we go inside, and Emmett grabbed me, swinging my legs over one arm to carry me over the threshold. I giggled as he kissed me on my forehead, and I could almost sense Edward's eyes rolling behind us.

Esme held my hand as soon as he put me down. My eyes swept the space, the interior just as beautiful as the exterior of the home. "Fully furnished!" I exclaimed, running through the first-story rooms, dragging her along with me. "Oh Esme, I love it," I gushed. I gave her a bone crushing embrace of my own, jumping up and down.

The entire family laughed at my enthusiasm.

"Well this way, you'll have your own house to… destroy and repair as you please," she said, clearing her throat in the middle of the statement.

Carlisle and Edward cleared their throats as well, while Emmett grinned sheepishly beside me.

The house was gorgeous, art deco style, looking like a modest rural mansion you'd find somewhere in Europe. "French Country" was what Esme called it. The walls were the telltale muted colors that all the Cullen houses held, but with deep luxurious fabrics flanking the windows and on the ornate furnishings. In the corners of each room were boxes of our belongings… things like my clothes, shoes, and Emmett's baseball card collection. I was in love.

Something hit me, and I smacked Emmett's arm.

"Ow," Emmett grunted, rubbing his arm with a look of bewilderment as to why I smacked him. "What was that all about?"

"Christmas! I forgot about Christmas!"

"Sweetie, you just came back from your honeymoon," Esme reassured me, rubbing my back gently. "No one expects presents from either of you. Besides, your Tanzanian vase and other African art pieces were perfect for the new house."

The family left us to unpack, wishing us well before letting us get settled into the house. Emmett helped me decide where we'd put everything, and even though we argued over his card collection being displayed in the cigar room rather than the living room, we were able to work things out.

"I can't believe I forgot about Christmas," I mused as we unpacked.

Emmett's brow furrowed as he filled the bookshelf with his favorite novels. "You're still thinking about that?"

I pressed my lips together. As a human I would've blushed at the thought that plagued me. "Well, I didn't get you anything," I admitted.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, putting down his books and walking toward me.

"I didn't get you a gift. I've been so wrapped up in the wedding—"

"I think that's a good enough reason," he interjected, wrapping me into his arms. "I don't think I need another Rolex."

I frowned. I had given him a shiny watch last year, after Carlisle and Esme gifted him with a vintage compass. Both were presents to show him how to get home, and—from me—_when_ to come home. Of course, Carlisle was the one that physically handed it to him because it was too soon for me to be within feet of Emmett.

He didn't have anything for me in return, but he didn't have the means to get me anything, let alone the fact that we weren't close at that point. Though I'd hoped to get something from him during Christmas,I couldn't and didn't expect it from him.

I wanted this year's holiday to be different. "Emmett…"

"In fact, I never did get you a present last year." He pulled out something shiny from his pocket, holding it in his hand so I wouldn't see. "I was saving this for later, but since you brought it up," He let it drop and hang from his hand as he held it in the sunlight.

The rainbows it threw in the light were telltale of what it was. It was a round solitare diamond pendant hanging from a gold chain.

I stared in amazement. "Emmett, where did you get that?"

"The marketplace in a neighborhood on the Tanzanian mainland," he replied, motioning for me to turn around. He slipped it on as he spoke, fastening it on my nape as I held my hair up. "You were off looking at shoes and paintings. I decided I'd find you something nice."

I held the tiny pendant in my hand, speechless. I couldn't find it in me to smile. Guilt overshadowed my reaction to his gift as I had empty hands.

"Don't blow a gasket about not giving me anything this year," Emmett sighed as he turned me to him, studying my expression like he always did. "Let's just call it even. This year and last year can be counted as our first combined Christmas," He lifted my chin with his fingers. "Baby, we have an eternity's worth of holidays to enjoy together. Just say thank you, and nothing more."

I let out a breath, losing myself in his gentle, honey gaze. He always seemed to make things better. "Okay," I sighed. "Thank you." My materialistic nature had me beaming as I looked back down at the pretty solitaire dangling from my neck. I couldn't help it.

"I'm glad you like it," he chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing to worry about. Besides, there are much better gifts than material things, you know."

It wasn't long after we'd decided which closet to choose, mine being the largest, when I was beginning to feel… restless again.

I watched him as he stowed his trousers and shirts, the very shirt on his body clinging lightly to his brawny form. I imagined his chest of pure muscle and bone, and I suddenly wanted to sink my teeth into him. My panties moistened immediately, and before his nose could flare at the scent I lunged at him.

He could barely chuckle as I crashed my lips onto his, pulling his shirt open, his buttons flying everywhere. He helped me out of my own dress, both of us stepping out of our clothes impatiently.

I led him towards the bed, our hands exploring, learning the planes of each others bodies all over again. He removed my bra in a single flash, and bent to take one nipple into his mouth before moving to the other. My hands threaded into his hair as I watched him, his gaze meeting mine as he caught the tiny, pebbled peak and pulled gently with his lips. My head fell back and I moaned, finally experiencing what I had fantasized about every night since I met him. In this house, we were able to let go, without any careful restraint in ruining our mother's home, or a rented bungalow, without the need to sneak outside.

My hands moved to the waistband of his trousers, unbuttoning them slowly, feeling his lips move over my chest and to my shoulders, and gently sucking at my flesh. His hands began to work my skirt down my hips. My clitoris twitched in anticipation. It had been less than forty-eight hours since we'd last been intimate, but I had to have him again.

I'm sure he felt the same. I felt it in the way he handled me, his desperate, frantic movements as he ravaged me. The anxious look in his eyes as his teeth clamped together, the primal growl bubbling from deep within his chest and rising up his throat—were both signs of his need.

A surge of moisture flooded my center at the sound. I knew that I would never tire of how much he wanted me—how much he was so proud to show his desire for me, be it behind closed doors or out in public, like on campus. It was all the reason why I wanted him just as desperately. Another primal grown roared from his throat once again, and my hands flexed around the defined curve of his shoulders, my nails sinking into his skin. His skin… a blanket of smooth, creamy white over firm, distinct muscle; I just couldn't get enough.

Our hands became impatient, pulling down the remaining clothing between us, and hungrily touching everything. His fingers moved between my legs, spreading me, learning and memorizing my every inch. His mouth covered mine, his kisses becoming almost desperate in their hunger.

His hands moved – over my shoulders, across my chest, tweaking a nipple, stroking my belly. I became a quivering mass of need, spurred along by his deep, husky voice.

"I need you," he growled through his panting breath. Desire was rolling off of him in large waves, and now those waves were crashing onto me.

All I could do was whimper in agreement, the only response I could give as my own primal need rocked through me. His hands passed over the area that I wanted him to touch the most. His mouth crashed on mine and I eagerly received it, my own mouth moving against him.

His fingertips traced lazy circles across my bare flesh.

It was a frenzied moment. His hand was at first hesitant, barely hovering over my flesh, and suddenly becoming then ravenous, finding a rhythm on my skin, pumping in fast, light strokes. I clawed at his back, biting down on his lower lip just enough not to break skin.

He sucked on my upper lip in response, stifling a moan himself. I felt his arousal as he ground his hips against my thigh. He was enjoying my pleasure just as much. My reaction seemed to drive him—motivate him—as my body rippled against his touch. He felt like heaven against me. He held my leg up around his waist with his free hand and balanced us as I ground against him, crying out in my almost immediate orgasm.

"Oh, god Emmett," I crooned, throwing my head back and pulling away from his kiss.

"That's it baby. Let it go," he coaxed, his hooded eyes studying me like they always did, but with fierce, abandoned enjoyment.

In a massive explosion within my womb, I came undone. His name fell from my lips in strangled pants. I quaked beneath his stroking as he smashed his palm against me, his touch at preternatural speed. My fingers dug deep inside the flesh of his back and he growled on top of my chanting and screaming, his name uncontrollably falling from my lips.

As my climax subsided, so did his touch. It was almost as if my release calmed us both and allowed us to slow down, our kisses slowing to languid, his movements more measured as he lowered my leg and chaffed my hip gently.

I flipped him on his back, straddling him as I covered him eagerly with kisses all over his chest, a relief map of countries and cities that I was determined to explore and conquer. Creamy, velvety skin—indeed. Firm, distinct, muscles—beyond doubt. I inspected his chest, probing orally, and with great enthusiasm as I heard him gasp. I ran my tongue in circles, thoroughly examining his well-defined abdomen with my mouth.

I smiled roguishly as I watched him squirm in obvious anticipation. I took a quick swirl of my tongue into his belly button before following the light trail of hair down to the steel treasure below his waist, making sure I did a light nibble at the peak of the V-shaped indentation that separated his abdomen from his upper thigh. I followed the trail south, ensuring to give him the best pleasure with my hands and mouth.

His fingers curled around my neck. "Oh, fuck," he groaned. I began to move at a leisurely pace, watching his eyes narrow, his brows furrowing in treachery. His parted lips now had grown into a full jaw-drop; he struggled to keep from flinching at the sensation of my lips and tongue.

His pelvis jerked a few times before he began a steady rhythm. He winced, whimpering in pleasure, before abruptly pulling my head up from him. "Wait," he ordered. "I don't want to go like this."

With one swift, superhuman movement, he flipped me over the bed. I snarled beneath him, my body being stretched with every movement.

He moved surely and eagerly on me while we bounced on the bed, making it creek. It was a strange feeling to actually be on a mattress, where lovemaking was supposed to happen. However, I could tell he was quickly getting jaded of such a position, and at such a standard location, his body being used to more strenuous situations while having sex.

He stood up from me, and my body screamed at the loss of contact. "Come with me," he whispered, helping me up on my feet and walking me over to the back door. He grabbed my hips and turned me away from him, placing my hands against the door like he was a copper trying to frisk me.

"Spread your legs," he commanded— his voice husky and full of lust. I did as instructed, my center flooding with anticipatory moisture as I felt him kneel behind me.

And like that, I felt a moment of his breath on my over sensitized flesh before he pleasured me. I was crooning, my voice getting louder and louder as I neared a pending release at every flick and swirl of his tongue on my center, but he pulled away before it could happen.

"Emmett," I cried in frustration.

"No," he growled, in an authoritative voice. "Not yet."

I whimpered again feeling him stand up behind me, and a smack of his hand on the cheek of my buttocks. I gasped in shock. "Emmett!"

"Do as I say," he snarled, "and spread 'em wider."

I parted my legs a bit wider, my knees quivering. I would gladly succumb to his orders, as he almost always took full command in the bedroom. It turned me on beyond reason. He was the four-star general and I was his insane, but willing lieutenant. At that moment, he could have commanded me to dismember my legs and ship them off to London, and I'd do it without reservation.

I felt him rub the head of his erection against my saturated flesh, and I nearly cried in how much I wanted it. "Emmett, please."

I heard him give an evil chuckle through his own growling as he stood up, placing himself against me. Without reservation, he continued on with his assault of my body.

I fought my responsive screaming as I bit down on my fist, the side of my face smashed against the back door of our gorgeous new house. My knees were becoming like pudding, and I felt like I was going to explode into a million pieces.

I felt my hair being pulled into a ponytail by his freehand, and he slightly tugged it so my head pulled back. This act of aggression shocked me, but to my surprise, it caused a pleasurable heat within me. I felt him lean in on me, his hot breath on my neck.

"Fuck," he seethed through is teeth. "You're so… beautiful, and you feel… _so _good, babe." I felt him nip at my earlobe before swirling his tongue around in my inner ear.

The sensation made me gasp loudly, and suddenly my hair let loose and his hand was on my lips, the pads of his fingers caressing my lips before gently slipping two of them into my mouth. I sucked on them hungrily, growling into them as he continued his attack into my all-too-willing body.

Pretty soon all these sensations sent me plummeting into another climax.

I mewled and moaned as my release detonated from deep within me, releasing over him, my cries and whimpers muffled against his fingers. With his continuous friction, it felt like my pleasure-induced contractions would never end. I continued to writhe and convulse beneath his body.

Emmett rode my release out like nothing could stop him, pushing his way through the tension of my body. One would think he was murdering me at how loud I screamed, but his name spilling from my lips in a chant that declared otherwise.

Once my trembling ceased, he grabbed me by the hips and turned me to look at him, and catching my hind legs with his hands hiked me up around his waist, my legs instinctively hooking themselves at my ankles on his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

We both growled in combined pleasure as he bounced me on him. I threw my head back and arched my body, and I felt his lips sucking and flicking.

Once he tired of that position, I felt him walk over to a wall, before throwing me against the armoire, and repeating it again there, and on the table and, against another wall. At least, I think that's where we were. I had no idea what I was pressed against, once again, as he took full advantage of having our own place, ravaging my body in wild abandon.

My backside hit the wall behind me with a force that drove him deeper. He pulled back, rocked into me again, and I let out a loud moan. I concentrated only on the feel of him as he drove me closer and closer to release. He shifted my legs, angled his hips, and hit that sweet, susceptible spot deep inside me.

I could feel myself spiraling towards another release, amazed that one man could cause this to happen to me multiple times in one session. He lifted me from whatever barrier I was leaning on, standing to bounce me again on his thighs as his hungry mouth went for my breasts. I mewled as I rode him, holding onto him with my wrists hooked on the back of his neck, my hands and nails digging into his hair and scalp.

I placed a hand on each side of his face and pulled his lips to mine in a sweltering kiss. Every nerve in my body was begging to come undone for the thousandth time today, and each rough plunge of his thick length pushed me closer to that precipice. Even though I didn't need any additional stimulation, the concept that it was Emmett, my husband forever, driving me into this condition of rapture made me croon louder. The sensation alone was enough to send a warhead detonating through me, but combined with the thought, I could no longer hold onto it, and I gripped his hair tightly.

"Holy shit," he growled above me, pounding into me forcefully, feeling my release.

I screamed, my back arching off the mattress. I knew my body was pushing him over his own edge of completion.

"God, Rosalie…_fuck_!" His voice was deep and raspy, and he tensed above me as he released. "Ah, God, I _love_ you," he groaned through his trembling jaw.

I could almost sense a crack, a feeling of destruction, a small explosion of physical matter surrounding us, with his climax. However, I wasn't sure, as my ears were ringing and my head felt faint from my all too recent release.

Exhausted and trembling, he removed my legs from his shoulders before collapsing next to me in a quivering mass. "How's that for our first Christmas as a married couple?" he asked through labored breath, his tone smug.

I laughed. "Certainly something we could keep as a tradition." Immediately, I turned to my side, wrapping my arm and leg around his heavily built form. We lay beside one another while our breathing returned to normal.

It was a small moment before he stirred again, getting up on his knees. He flipped me over onto my back, his body on top of mine.

"Again?" I asked, unbelievingly. This man really had super-stamina, I thought, misreading his intentions. Barely fifteen minutes since the last, and already hankering for another.

"No," he snickered, his liquid topaz eyes gentle and soft. "I just… I just wanted to look at my wife," he admitted under his breath, a sweet, loving look on his virile features.

I felt a strange breeze within the house, but in the haze of my euphoric sexual satisfaction, he had all of my attention.

He smiled down on me, staring into my eyes, his breathing still labored. His body was desperately trying to calm down from his own climax, but it didn't stop his gaze of total adulation.

I was sure my expression mirrored his. I adored him just as much as he adored me, and I could never hide how desperately in love I was with my husband.

Suddenly his eyes switched to the side of my face lifting his hand to it. His fingertip lightly grazed my cheek, picking up something as he turned his finger to inspect it.

I narrowed my eyes as he brought his finger up to his face. "What is it?" I asked.

He held a perplexed expression. "Snow," he breathed.

"Snow?"

"A snowflake." He turned his finger over so that I can actually get a look at his fingertip, and sure enough, there was a lovely, fluffy snowflake in the center of its thick pad.

"How random," I marveled.

Emmett's eyes flew up behind me at that instant, and I became alert as they widened in shock. "Holy fucking shit," Emmett gasped, his mouth twitching from combined amusement and alarm.

"What is it?" I asked looking behind me, wondering what could possibly put him in such a strangely combined mood.

I gasped.

The whole side wall of the house had fallen into the backyard, including about one third of the house. I turned to look to our immediate surrounding area, and I realized we were laying on a lopsided mattress, the bed where our legs laid crushed. I immediately remembered the small explosion as we both came undone, the tiny sense of destruction. I grasped that my senses were correct, and we had blown the bed apart, as well as the house.

"Oh, my god," I whispered. I sat up frantically. "Should we fix it?" My head whipped around as I got a good look at the surrounding area. "Oh god! We need to repair it! Oh, what will Esme say?" I wailed, panicking. "What do we do?"

"Hey, hey," Emmett said, hushing me. "Calm down."

"No, no!" I exclaimed. "We just single handedly demolished the house. Esme's gift! The gorgeous French country home!"

Emmett chuckled. Was he amused?

"Emmett, how could you react like that? This isn't funny!"

"We can fix this," he said simply, completely calm, smiling, even. "Relax, you crazy doll, will you?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, studying Emmett's amazing composure speculatively. "We can?" I asked.

"Yes, we can. Just like the living room in Virginia," he explained softly, taking a hand to my cheek. "Don't you worry your pretty, little head off, babe. I can rebuild this house within a month."

"Are you sure?"

He cocked a brow, sticking his lower lip out in a good-humored pout. "Y'know, your lack of confidence in me is kinda wounding my ego a bit," he teased.

I exhaled, giving a small grin of apology, but remained silent for him to continue.

He chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure." He placed his hands square on my shoulders. His face turned intense. "Trust me, babe. I can and will rebuild you your house. _Our _house." He amended the last part when he saw that I opened my mouth to speak, knowing I'd correct him. "Framework, construction, all of it."

One corner of my mouth raised in a crooked smile in response. I nodded slowly, feeling assured by the intensity of his eyes. I felt his hands fall to my knees.

Suddenly, his features took a turn in expression. Naughty mischief replaced the serious intensity.

I looked over my shoulder to see if something else behind me changed his expression before I turned back to him. "What is it?" I asked.

By then I realized his eyes were roaming on my still bare, very naked body. He licked his lips slowly, and I felt his hands crawl ever so slowly from my knees and up my thighs. "I think we need to see what else we can destroy of this structure," he growled.

I gulped unthinkingly before my lips parted in a silent gasp. I knew my expression was all the permission and encouragement he'd need to continue.

He chuckled darkly before he lurched at me at preternatural speed, hissing violently. His weight crashed onto me as we fell off the bed and onto the floor, as he tackled me.

I giggled in response, letting myself be ravaged by him. I loved every moment of it.

With one motion he picked me up, my legs wrapping instinctively around his waist while he carried me to an unharmed sector of the house. Harnessing me against a doorframe, with dark lust in his hooded eyes, he pulled the infamous half smile across his plump lips, with one of the dimples I loved so dearly.

I peered at him through my dark lashes, and I ground my pelvis against him, demanding his attention. I licked my lips before a hiss broke from my own throat, through my teeth. I crashed my lips onto his, kissing him with brutality, licking, teasing, occasionally nipping at him.

Emmett pulled away to look at me with just a moment of adoration before a naughty shadow consumed his gaze. He snarled violently again, leaning in to devour the flesh on my neck, trailing with his lips down to my bosom.

I chuckled enigmatically, feeling his body—solid, distinct muscle, under a blanket of creamy, silken skin—take my own body as I would forever desire him to…

And—as sure as I was that this man loved me with all of himself, as equally as I did him—I was definite we would spend forever just like this.

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**Author's End note:**

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A reminder: Please stay tuned, as I will be returning later summer to bring you an **Epilogue (Forks)** to this story.

Please also stay tuned for updates to "Strength and Remorse," Emmett's Side to V&P.

**Again, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, recommended, mentioned, tweeted, posted on blogs about, posted on threads, visited the V&P thread, voted in awards, PMed me on updates, and your continued support and enthusiasm through out the story. It's been a great pleasure, and without you, I wouldn't have the drive to complete it! I appreciate and am thankful for every single one of you out there!**

**Please review and let me know what you think**, **as each review feed my creative soul, and inspires me to keep writing **

**Got Twitter? Follow me! achelle131**

For teasers/spoilers, or just fun discussion on this story and other things related please come by and play on the Vanity and Patience/Strength and Remorse thread in the Twilighted Forum under Fanfiction/Pre-Twilight.


	30. Epilogue: Forks

**Author's Notes:**

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To all Vanity and Patience readers,

Oh, how I've missed you ALL. It has been a long, long time and I apologize for that. I had completed this story in the 1930s to my satisfaction with "Chapter 29: Demolition." However, I've always intended to complete this story and bring it into the time of Bella's first day at Forks High School as an Epilogue, so here I am.

But first:

**A Public Service Announcement on Plagiarism**

This Thanksgiving I received a PM from a very generous and loyal reader that** V&P had been plagiarized and posted under a new title by another author on FFn**. As I checked out the story, I saw that the first 9 chapters of Vanity and Patience had been lifted word for word, only to be altered in the Author's notes to make it look like it was HER work, resulting from "a dream she had the night before." She was posting them every few days to make it seem like she was writing them. She even thanked a beta for her time editing it.

If it wasn't so disturbing to me, given that I'd worked hours and hours on this fan fiction story from April 2009 to December 2010, it would actually be hilarious and sad. When I checked my reviews on FFn, I realized she was the last at that point to review V&P and asked if I was planning on completing it. I compared the date of that review to the first publish date of her work, and they were on the SAME DAY. She even had V&P listed in her favorites. I just don't understand people sometimes.

The rip-off story, titled "**If we had happy ending we'd all be under gravestones,"** has since then been deleted. Whether it was taken down by the author in question, **TinaJaymes/EdwardsCougar33,** or by the administrators of Fanfictionnet, I will never know. I am just grateful that the issue was resolved immediately.

I hate things like this. I've found this to happen to too many FF writers I know and I always immediately report it. Thanks to all who have responded to this issue. If you ever find this story or any of my other published fan fictions out there under another name, **I hope that you would do the right thing and report it**. In fact, I hope you will do this for other and all fan fiction writers you know and love.

**Please do the right thing!**

End soap box

Without further ado, the final and last installment of Vanity and Patience…

**__****To better adhere to the Terms of Service at FanFiction(dot)net, I am doing a revisions on my chapters here, and keeping them less explicit. They will now be rightfully fitting into the M-rated category (rather than MA). Please go to my profile and read my story on Twilighted or LiveJournal for the full explicit version.**

Disclaimer: Some dialogue and part of the plot has been extracted and adapted from Partial Draft of Stephenie Meyer's _Midnight Sun. I just write an interpretation from Rosalie's Point of View._

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**Epilogue: Forks**

* * *

The thrill of speed put a smile on my face as I zoomed down the 101.

"I've got a song in my head," my sister, Alice, said as she flipped through her iPod, which was attached to my Beamer's brand new iPod Compatible head unit. She played DJ for the long drive, relaxed and just as thrilled by the speed I was taking as I was. Speed was, as we both new, a shared family indulgence.

As was the car. And here it was—the lovely, flashy, fast vehicle that I'd dreamed about for decades—my M3 convertible in, yes, you guessed it, a lovely candy apple red.

It was the year 2005. January 2005, to be exact.

We'd spent the afternoon swimming through the racks at the Barneys in Pacific Place. School was not an option on a sunny day in Forks, but given the cloudy forecast in Seattle, Alice and I found it a great opportunity to travel the couple of hours to replenish our wardrobes, as she was about to do one of her routine wardrobe purging on all of our closets to donate to the poor. I adored her philosophy of never wearing anything more than once, and helping the needy lent to not making us seem so selfish and wasteful. I could get behind that sort of thinking.

Alice and Jasper, two nomads looking for a more meaningful existence than just aimlessly hunting humans, had joined our family around 1950. To my surprise, vampires outside of our little family found the vegetarian lifestyle to be appealing. Alice, of course, had seen us in a vision and had sought out Carlisle's family in hopes of joining.

Carlisle and Esme were, of course, gracious to accept the couple into our lives. As for me, I was a little skeptical at first, given my first run-in with nomads—i.e. Viktor and his little group. It would've taken longer for me to warm up to Alice if she wasn't such a happy person. Also, her gift of foresight gave her the advantage of knowing how to approach me. Against my own ability to be a tough one to crack, Alice was able to break down my barriers and quickly became like a sister to me. It was good to have another female in the house; particularly one who was closer to my age. Even Jasper was a great person to be around when he wasn't tempted by humans; he was the newest to this lifestyle.

Our family returned to the Olympic Peninsula just a couple years ago from Denali, where we'd spent a few years near our cousins. It had been over sixty years since we'd last lived in the area, having now settled in the small town of Forks, rather than our original town of Hoquiam. We still kept within our designated area, staying in line with the treaty we'd made with the Quileutes decades past. Though Emmett, Edward, and I believed they probably would've forgotten by now, Carlisle, being a man of his word, insisted that it be honored.

Alice and I arrived home in no time, sharing our purchases with the rest of the family and handing out gifts we'd purchased our adopted parents, siblings, and husbands: a new scarf and tie for Carlisle, both from Burberry; a lovely Gucci handbag for Esme; a new Dolce and Gabanna track suit for Emmett; an Hermes messenger bag for Jasper; and some cashmere Prada for Edward.

These were the days I lived for.

"You clear out the racks at Barneys again?" Emmett joked at Alice.

She smiled with a playful shrug of her shoulders. "Maybe."

They were all happy with our choices, of course. But then we called Edward down, who slowly made his way down the stairs. I assumed he was upstairs writing in a new leather-bound journal again about how he hated life as a monster.

His eyes narrowed resentfully at my current thought as he breezed past me into the living room.

I bit my lip to hide my grin, but was momentarily distracted. Emmett tugged at my arm to get my attention, and when I turned to him, I saw that he was modeling the track suit's jacket. He popped the collar and winked at me, and I beamed back at him. He looked good in anything.

Alice held a v-neck sweater in a muted plum to Edward's torso.

"Thanks," he mumbled, folding it up neatly and setting it on the table.

"Edward, don't you like the sweater we got you?"

"Of course I do," he said in his dead voice.

I barely took note of it, as his tragic moping around the house was just as normal as Emmett's wise cracks and accidental spurts of Jasper's former Texas accent.

"Prada's upcoming Spring line," she practically sang as she pulled out another piece—a moss colored V-neck cashmere—up against his chest. "This one I chose myself. The color goes well with your hair!"

A side of his mouth curled up in a smile in response to his favorite sister. "Thank you, Alice."

Their exchange brought a small, yet fleeting, thought to mind. It was an amity that had only bothered me for a couple years, but decades had healed the envy I'd once felt over their camaraderie. Edward and I never had such a kinship in our decades of knowing each other. It wasn't like we didn't love each other as siblings—we both did in our weird and silly ways. But I realized he and I were too much alike to be healthy friends for one another. Alice was, of course, his opposite, and her sunshine was the draw to his dreariness. In time, I realized it was a similar draw to the one I had with Emmett, and that envy became short-lived. In turn, I found my favorite brother in Jasper, who was a fine young man, and because of his ability to control emotions, very soothing to be around.

"Yes," Carlisle said. "Thank you both for such great gifts. But you realize you don't have to spend your allowances on us. We give this to you for you to buy your own things."

"Don't be silly," I said, walking up to Carlisle. I hooked the tie around his neck and looped it into a perfect knot. "You know how much we love to shop and how much we love you all."

"Yep, we're free to do what we choose with our money," Alice agreed, "and we choose to spend it on all of you."

"Well, thank you, girls," Esme said, giving us a hug each. "But just remember, we don't expect anything from either of you."

"Speak for yourselves," Emmett and Jasper both joked in unison. They both turned to each other. "Jinx!"

"Not my fault you want to be like me," Emmett boasted.

Jasper scoffed. "Excuse me, but I think you have that backwards."

I wasn't sure of the next words that were exchanged between them, because I had zipped up the two flights of stairs with Alice to play fashion show in her bedroom. A new pair of boots from Prada and a lavender dress from Lanvin were items in my shopping bag that desperately needed to be worn to admire immediately.

Next thing you know, there was a loud crash downstairs.

"Boys, what did I tell you? No wrestling in the house!" we could hear Esme call out after the boys.

"Outside," they both said in unison, and with a pair of wind gusts, they disappeared out the nearest open floor-length window.

"Can you believe them?" Alice asked, as she helped me zip up the Lanvin.

"Sadly, yes, I can."

As always, neither I nor Alice bothered to watch the wrestling match. It was nothing out of the ordinary. All of us found ways of entertaining ourselves. Even Edward joined in on the fun, playing their referee. We could hear it, of course... the loud, thunderous claps as they both slammed each other down on the forest floor, the rain of dirt hitting the ground in their wake. I could make out the flood of swearing and cursing from my husband's mouth that told me exactly who won and who didn't.

Emmett tried to coax Jasper into another round of wrestling into the wee hours of the night, but to no avail. Even as he posted limited edition Nike Jordans on Ebay—a small profit-turning hobby of his—he still cracked wise comments toward Jazz in hopes of provoking him. Jasper didn't budge, effectively ignoring him as he picked up his guitar and sang to Alice and Esme.

I was next to them, tuning out the whole thing for a while as I flipped through the channels, trying to find something new to watch. I settled on a chick flick on Showtime, starring Deborah Messing and Dermot Mulroney. Toward the end of the film, I realized there was no getting through to Emmett's tenacity about coaxing his brother into another wrestling game.

With Emmett's playful defeat fresh on his mind, I insisted that he and I hunt. It was just a couple of hours until dawn, and we'd be back in plenty of time before the next school day.

"Come on," I urged. "It'll make you feel better."

"Fine," he grumbled with a shrug.

I didn't bother inviting the others. Jasper gave us an envious look, but Carlisle insisted they test his restraint and put off for at least another night. I wasn't sure it would be smart to push Jasper's limits, but who was I to question Carlisle? Our lifestyle was too new for Jasper, and they wanted to ensure his endurance around humans. I remembered how hard it was for Emmett in his newborn years, but that was decades ago. These days, he had more control than even Carlisle or Edward did.

As we stepped out, I noticed Edward give Carlisle a dubious look. I assumed it was about our adoptive father's judgments in Jasper's control. I guess I wasn't the only one that gave it a second thought.

As Emmett and I zipped through the forest, my thoughts ran a million miles a minute as I thought of how we'd grown as a couple. How I'd grown as a person. An immortal.

Time passes.

Everything disappears when you live for a long time.

Cities change. They grow. They take over the thick forests you had loved and the very meadows that you once laid in.

But as a vampire who is a member of not only a coven, but a _family_, there are things that you can count on, things that remain constant, and you grow dependent on these things, no matter the changes throughout the years and decades. These people. Carlise, Esme, Jasper, Alice. Even Edward.

And Emmett. My everything in a tall, burly package of sunshine.

Naturally, my eyes shot to his profile as he ran alongside me. His eyes were trained on the path ahead, a look of steadfast determination on his face, with a hint of a smile as the thrill of speed ran through him.

Without him, the passing decades in which everything moved forward in time, save for myself, might have proved unendurable. I might have walked into a fireplace. Lit a match to myself. Flown to Italy to provoke the Volturi.

But I didn't.

Because I had _him_.

He was my saving grace back when I'd gone through my depression with the passing of my human parents. And he was my saving grace still. The fact was truer now than it was before, and it would probably always be the case.

But things within me had grown and changed, like my preference for change, for example, or lack there of. Because the world changed so much around us, I had grown to prefer the fixed togetherness of our family.

What a contradiction, one would think, that I don't welcome alteration, when all I've ever wanted was to be able to bear children, move forward, grow old, and pass on. Change was all I envied and desired. But life did not give me that possibility—that luxury. My reality did not allow for such gifts of age and mortality; therefore, as a result of that fact, unlike decades before, I preferred different. In a world where I am physically and psychologically frozen, I had come to depend on these consistencies within my family's structure.

I had come to rely upon the reality that we would all be frozen like this together—all five of us: Alice, the happy, bubbly pixie, who had the gift of foresight; Jasper, the intense one, who could calm you with his energy; Esme, whose maternal love could light up any household; Carlisle, whose compassion could will you to do your best, even in the most undesired circumstances; Emmett, my husband, who is my sunshine-my hero and my best friend in one. I'd even come to rely on Edward, and his sulking, self-loathing disposition, where we only saw eye-to-eye in the garage or in music.

Perhaps I was not fond of change, especially when it did not work in my favor. That was no secret.

Emmett and I had come across a herd of elk, the sound of their wet beating hearts bringing me back to the present. In a few short moments, they were history. He kissed me just as soon as he dropped his last carcass.

I let him pull away, his eyes a fiery yellow gold as they peered into mine, one side of his lip curling up. "You're in a better mood," I noted with a chuckle.

"Guess I just needed some blood in my system," he muttered, before placing a small peck on my lips.

"Herbivores do it for you now, then?"

"Well, they weren't bears, but they were good enough, I guess."

"We could still look for more," I suggested.

"We could," he said. "I'll race you to the Canadian border."

"You're on," I growled.

Emmett and I came across some mountain lions in British Columbia, but no bears. You'd think he would be disappointed, but as his carefree nature went, he figured any carnivore would do. We returned to the house a few minutes before dawn. Emmett's foul mood returned just as quickly, as soon as he saw Jasper, who wasn't in the mood for a rematch any time before the start of the next school day.

Just two short hours after our return did we all pile into Edward's Volvo for school. I would much rather take my "ostentatious" M3, but for purposes of lying low in this student body, we thought his "reasonable" car a good camouflage. I understood the redundancy of school could put anyone into depression, but today was only slightly different. I had sensed the buzz around school without the sixth sense that my dear brother had. Who needed mind reading when you had women's intuition? And as a vampire with heightened human senses, you bet I could feel the excitement of the general crowd. I could discern the curiosity—the excitement over such a minute thing in the monotony that was Forks High School. The children were all keyed up about the new girl-the daughter of the town's Chief of Police.

Not that I really cared.

It was now lunch time. My husband sat across the table from me with a hint of a scowl on his normally jolly face, which would probably concern me if I didn't know the reason. After close to seventy years of marriage, I knew him too well. I had no doubt that he was still brewing over the defeat with Jasper, and still stubbornly eager for a rematch.

I caught a glance of myself in one of the student's glasses, feeling pleased by the arrangement of my wavy locks around my face. Only a golden mane like mine would be perfect enough to highlight the best features of myself. This part of myself never changed. I was still in love with what I saw when I looked into the mirror.

I was suddenly distracted as I heard a foot hit the leg of a chair. Looking up, I saw my brother and Jasper exchange glances for a second before Jasper put his head down.

"Sorry," Jasper muttered, looking down.

I followed the previous trail of his eyes to a young lady very quickly before turning away. Ah. Jasper's thirst.

I tried my best to look away, but in this world of repetitiveness, I sort of gravitated toward something new to pay attention to. I continued to watch Edward and Jasper out of the corner of my eye.

Edward shrugged his shoulders indifferently in response to Jasper's apology as I tried to glance over without being too obvious.

"You weren't going to do anything," Alice mumbled to Jazz, soothing his embarrassment. "I could see that."

At this point, Emmett had tuned in as well, looking over at them like I was, though he was a bit more flagrant in his approach. His neck was turned completely to allow him to watch.

"It helps a little if you think of them as people," Alice suggested, her high, musical voice too fast for human ears to understand, if any had been close enough to hear. "Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to that garden party. Do you remember?"

"I know who she is," Jasper replied, his voice curt.

As my said twin turned away to end the conversation, Emmett and I exchanged glances, his face lacking the scowl from earlier. Concern replaced it instead.

We both knew not to say anything. It wasn't our business to do so. That was something Jazz and Alice were dealing with themselves, and with Edward's ability and close relationship with my pixie sister, he was caught in the middle. Not that there was anything to say, as Jasper's tone from his last response implied that all should shut up.

Edward read Jasper's request to back off of him, turning his attention elsewhere. It was a while before he spoke. "Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen clan," he murmured to Emmett.

My husband responded in a chuckle under his breath, but didn't say more. However, his expression gave away that he was quietly inquiring with Edward.

I followed Edward's glance toward Jessica Stanley's table out of pure curiosity. I recognized the new girl immediately, but only because the school had a small student body, and transfers were always blatantly obvious.

"Rather unimaginative, actually," Edward answered. "Just the barest hint of scandal."

I switched my eyes after just a flash of her image, which was all I needed, and all I really cared for, to be honest. She was nothing special—long brown hair, slim body, slouchy posture, and an obvious lack of fashion sense. As plain as Jane.

_Boring,_ I thought. However, a small part of myself was a bit relieved, though not surprised, that I was still the prettiest girl in Forks.

Edward continued on his report. "Not an ounce of horror. I'm a little disappointed."

Tuning out even before he finished speaking, I started to plan my next shopping trip to Seattle in my head as I flipped absentmindedly through a Vogue magazine that I hid in my Government binder. It was really nothing out of the ordinary, my brother's report on the thoughts of newcomers and transfers.

Edward's duty as our resident mind reader was to monitor the thoughts of those around us, to ensure that we kept our anonymity. He was responsible for our discretion in a way. His ability gave us the advantage of an early warning and a simple retreat, escaping scrutiny from a dangerously curious human or two. We'd disappear, and leave for the next cloudy town on the agenda—become just a disturbing memory that would eventually fade. It was not a transfer I would be willing to make, being so close to high school graduation.

It was not long before the lunch hour was coming to an end. I grabbed hold of my tray and looked around the table at my siblings. "Shall we?" I insisted.

Jazz, Alice, and Emmett began to gather their belongings and their lunch, props that they were.

"So, is the new one afraid of us yet?" Emmett asked Edward, who was too busy probably listening to Plain Jane's thoughts to begin stacking his books together like Emmett was.

I knew I needed to know the answer this question, as well. It was always a cause for concern that people figured out who we were. We'd had to move from a city once or twice for that reason alone. Nope. No way. Moving meant starting over in high school as sophomores—something I really didn't care to do.

Holding a breath I didn't need, I turned to watch Edward's reaction, seeing that he shrugged.

I exhaled in a very human way at his answer. I didn't care to repeat high school, what with graduation only months away.

We got up from the table and walked out of the cafeteria, and I barely noticed Emmett snaking his hand around to hold mine. We were always joined in some way—the contact was expected.

Emmett, Jasper, and I were pretending to be seniors, and we all headed toward the fourth year hallways to our classes.

My next one was Computer Programming with Jasper, and luckily, I'd tuned into the small exchange during lunch, because now I knew he was still in a dangerous situation. Though my self-proclaimed narcissism held me to my self-absorption, I could try to put effort toward watching over him.

I felt a small hand squeeze my elbow. "Thank you," Alice mouthed to me discreetly, before skipping along to her next class with Edward by her side.

I smiled to my sister quickly, making sure Jazz didn't catch it. I was sure he didn't want to be babysat anymore than I wanted to have to baby-sit him.

But that's just what we did in this family. We watched over each other—protected each other.

It turned out there wasn't much to worry about throughout fifth period with Jasper, thank goodness. I was able to create a whole application using Visual Basic and gave it a bit of bonus bells and whistles for extra credit. I took my time, however, to not be so obvious.

Sixth period, Government, was a blur, only because I'd been through the class close to a dozen times and didn't need to read along in order to follow in class. That, and none of my siblings were in the class with me, so I spent most of it browsing a fashion magazine or staring at myself in the reflection of the window.

Seventh period, of course, was one of my favorites, because I was able to take this class with Emmett. He was, however, distracted for the moment, due to the fact that Jasper was not in the mood for his rematch.

We headed for the Volvo, naturally, meeting up with both Alice and Jasper on the way over, piling orderly in the car as Emmett made careful effort to get Jasper's attention.

Edward came up suddenly, his movements frantic. He slid into the Volvo without his usual grace, which was the only reason I noticed him. He seemed to be choking as he tried to gain control of his lungs, gasping for air like someone had held a pillow over his face for far too long.

"Edward?" Alice asked, panic in her intonation.

He shook his head at her vigorously, his demeanor disheveled and shaky.

I felt Emmett's arms fall from my waist. "What the hell happened to you?" Emmett demanded.

Instead of answering, Edward threw the car in reverse, before swinging it around and accelerating. He then peeled out of the parking lot like the school was on fire and gunned it down the road like there was a bomb about to explode any second.

Like a trio of synchronized dancers, Emmett, Jazz, and I whipped our heads to stare at Alice. She shrugged, which was a possible indicator that she didn't know what was going on. She couldn't see what had happened, only what was coming.

Her eyes became still, with a far away stare. "You're leaving?" she whispered.

We all turned to Edward now.

"Am I?" he hissed through his teeth.

Alice stiffened, the telltale of an episode of her visions in her expression, the distance in her stare into nowhere particular. "Oh."

Her face changed, and I strained as the rest of us did, eagerly watching her reaction. "Oh," she said again.

"Stop!" Edward groaned, trembling.

Our heads followed their voices, Edward's knuckles whiter than usual at ten and two on the steering wheel. It was very unlike Edward to lose his composure, but there he was, about ready to fall apart.

"Sorry," she whispered, her eyes wide. Her posture changed, stiffening only for a second as I could only imagine her vision was changing, and relaxing again.

"I'll miss you," she muttered under her breath. "No matter how short a time you're gone."

Emmett and I exchanged an uneasy glance, my stomach at my feet and my heart at my throat. My brother was leaving.

But why?

We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home.

"Drop us here," Alice instructed, though I didn't want to get out of the car, really. "You should tell Carlisle yourself."

He nodded, and the car shrieked to a sudden stop.

As the three of us not-so-gifted vampires stepped out of the car in silence, ready to interrogate Alice once Edward left, we watched Alice and Edward's exchange intently.

She touched his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "You will do the right thing," she murmured. It was a command, rather than one of her foresight warnings. "She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him, too."

The new girl?

So that was it.

"Yes," Edward agreed.

She slid out to join us, her eyebrows pulling together in anxiety. We melted into woods, out of sight before Edward could even turn the car around.

The Volvo accelerated back to town, speeding in a silver-colored blur toward Forks as we sprinted into the forest.

Skidding to a halt, my husband turned to stop us in our tracks. "All right," Emmett said, folding his arms in front of his large chest, his golden stare on our little sister. "Spill it."

"Edward's having difficulty controlling himself over the new student." She stated the obvious, but we all realized we needed to hear it from her mouth in order to confirm it.

"Hah, I knew it!" Emmett said. "I can't be the only one with a weakness!" I shook my head at him, lightly placing my hand on his arm. Though it'd been years since Emmett had given into his bloodlust, he'd faltered many more times than the rest of us after making the commitment of a human-less diet.

"What do you mean, control?" Jasper asked, ignoring Emmett's outburst. He placed his hand gently over his wife's shoulder.

She looked at him and placed her hand on his that was at her shoulder, turning back to the two of us. "Isabella Swan's scent drives him crazy. It seems he almost killed her in class." Her eyes switched back to Jasper's. "He was battling the thought of finishing the job this evening."

I saw my brother in my mind and tried to imagine his teeth stained with blood, the plain girl's body lifeless in his arms in Chief Swan's living room. He'd been so carefully controlled since I'd known him that it was hard for me to picture. "Is it that bad that he has to leave town?" The question left my mouth before I had a chance to think about it. I pictured Edward and his trembling body, looking like he'd been suffocated as he'd hopped into the Volvo moments ago.

She turned to me. "Yeah. That bad."

"So he kills one human," Emmett mumbled with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Big deal. He doesn't have to run away."

"Big deal?" I echoed incredulously at Emmett, my brows furrowing. "It_ is_ a big deal. The ramifications of such an action could be linked to us. And then what? We'd have to move again?" I turned to my brother and sister. "I'd rather not." I was relieved when both Jazz and Alice nodded in agreement.

"You really think the alternative is a better solution?" Alice challenged Emmett. "Killing the daughter of the Chief of Police?"

Emmett raised his hands in surrender. "Whoa, ladies, calm down. It was just a suggestion."

"Alice," Jazz interceded in a calm voice, "where's he headed?"

"It looks like he's heading for Tanya's. The decision is getting stronger by the minute."

"Good," I muttered, folding my arms this time.

Jasper sighed, taking Alice into his arms, who was clearly sad that her best friend was leaving. "This'll kill Esme."

He was right, of course. Esme would be devastated, as would Carlisle. "Well, he's not leaving for good, right?" I asked. I suddenly felt the small pang of loneliness, and a small lump formed in the back of my throat at the thought of my brother being apart from us for so long.

"It's Edward," my husband reasoned. "He'll be back."

Alice shook her head, pulling away from Jazz to look at all of us. She grabbed her other elbow, the motion looking so helpless on her. "It's really, really bad, guys. I just... It's to the point where he has to leave or else he _will _kill her. He had no choice."

The expression on Jasper's face was calculating. "How is he unable to control himself around her, but he can be around hundreds of other humans?"

"I don't know, it seems like her unique scent is something that draws him to her—in the worst way possible."

Emmett gave me a knowing glance, taking my hand. I squeezed his fingers with mine. He'd experienced something like this decades before, only he didn't have any self-control to leave. I'd sent him to get me a package one autumn afternoon merely a decade after we'd married, and a woman was hanging laundry. The lady didn't last a second after the aroma of her blood hit his nose with a change of wind.

We all took our time coming home, giving Edward time to say a brief goodbye to Carlisle and Esme. Alice saw him in her mind heading for Denali.

Later that evening, Alice and Jazz joined Esme and Carlisle for a hunt. It was in an effort to claim some of Esme's lonely thoughts and to appease Jazz's thirst. I know I also shared in a sense of loneliness as the rest of the family over our departed brother, as did Emmett, but we were sated in our thirst for blood. Since Emmett and I had gone the evening before, that left us with an evening home alone.

Which, as always, only led to one thing.

The tension was immediate, blooming between the two of us, filling the living room. The house. It positively pounded.

He swept me off my feet, picking me up and carrying me up the stairs and into our bedroom, which was about the size of a normal person's two-bedroom apartment.

He placed me on my feet, stepping forward, a rush of his scent of cinnamon and freshly baked bread filling my senses. And as he pulled me against him and his thick, hot erection pressed up against me through his jeans, I realized the tension wasn't the only thing pounding.

_How tempting,_ I thought. So much so that I began to paw at his belt and fly.

Our clothes were nonexistent in a matter of three seconds.

As I reached to undo the buckles of my black Manolo Mary-Jane heels, his hand appeared on my wrist. I looked at him, his head shaking.

"Keep them on," he commanded.

I smiled.

His eyes followed the line of my body from head to toe with a look of both adoring appreciation and unmistakable lust combined. He threw himself on me, his mouth crashing onto mine. His lips were luscious against mine, his mouth the same cinnamon sweetness I'd come to crave. Almost rely on.

Before I knew it, I was thrown on our bed, his head between my thighs. With a growl, he lunged forward and attached his mouth to me, eliciting a gasp from my lips. In fact, we both had gasped together, and my fingers speared into his short, dark locks. It felt so amazing that I threw my head back.

Emmett, as always, was huge between my legs, his broad shoulders stretching me wide. I couldn't ever get used to it, even decades later. A wave of energy crashed down on me, sweeping me away—to something close to an out-of-body experience—as my body rhythmically surged. As all the wonderful tension snapped free, the release was so gratifying that I cried out his name. Again. And again.

After I finally calmed, he eased from me, and sat upwards, ooking down at me with wild, yellow eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing coherent came out. I motioned him to come up to me—to meet me face to face.

Emmett licked his lips nice and slow, his eyes flaring as he prowled up my body, placing a trail of soft kisses on my stomach. He paused at one of my nipples, giving it lapping attention. I giggled in response.

As he clapped his hands behind my knees and eased them open, I waited with anticipation. The smirk that appeared on his face made me chuckle, the sound breathy. My hand, however, grabbed the rotund shape of his backside, pushing him toward me.

The small encouragement was all he needed. With one swift movement, we were connected.

Many years together had taught us to control our strength, no longer destroying walls, floors, or furniture. After decades together, we also knew each other too well. This didn't create any issues for redundancy or boredom, however. Nope. Certainly not with my husband, who was happy to try something new when I needed it, or indulge in routine when I preferred it.

I felt his back with my fingertips, the muscles on his spine tremendous, rippling as he moved. He growled at the new touch, and I responded by gently raking my nails across his shoulder blades. On some other nights, I'd be satisfied with this, but not this night. I was feeling playful.

With preternatural speed, I flipped him over suddenly, causing a breathy chuckle to leave his lips. He loved when I took charge, which, in the bedroom, was quite often. I'd grown in my sexual confidence over the decades together.

Straddling his hips, I lowered myself onto him, impaling myself with his length.

I faintly recalled that I never felt more sensual before knowing Emmet.. He was my sexual awakening, which was a funny thought, considering what "freaks" we were, as Emmett would call it.

My senses inhaled the sounds, sights, and tastes of sex: our gasping and panting, his muscles bending and flexing, the sweet flavor of his skin, our bodies smacking against each other. It was enough to send me over the edge.

As my release came barreling in, I looked into his wide, golden eyes. It only prompted his own, his mouth flying open in a gasp, his brows arching. His lips sealed over mine, closing the action, his breath still shaky from his release. Mine was just as unsteady. He collapsed beside me, his body turned in my direction.

The nights were never long enough to quench my thirst for Emmett, but knowing we had an eternity's worth of evenings like this was enough to keep a smile on a girl's face forever. A smile much like the one I wore in that moment, despite the current situation with the family.

We lay there frozen like that for quite some time before anyone moved. He was the first to stir.

His fingers traced my lips. "I love it when you're happy," he breathed.

"You make me happy," I whispered back.

His lips curled up into a smile, his dimples making a debut.

It didn't take much to get him in the mood again. He pulled me against him, rolling us over so that he was on top. I stopped him, however, keeping him on the bottom, placing my lips on his and tracing his mouth with my tongue before trailing down his sternum, through the center line of his abs, to his length. I proceeded to give him unimaginable pleasure for some time.

Suddenly, he stopped me. "Don't. I want to finish in you," he whispered.

He lifted me so that I was even with him, flipping us over, and we were making love. I held to him, my nails sinking into his flesh. I held onto him with desperation... a determination to never let him go. I wasn't sure why I needed this, but on this night, he seemed to need it, too. Was he feeling the loneliness that I was, as well?

We made love for another hour, building on our endurance from the last time.

As soon as the passion was over and only a blissful peace swirled in the air around us, I felt a gnawing within me, like something wasn't right.

It wasn't about my present company—Emmett was everything right in my world.

It took a moment for me to realize what it was.

"You think he'll be back soon?"

"Who? Edward?"

I nodded, unable to voice a confirmation.

"I'm sure."

"Are you?" He was better to answer this question. He was closer to him than I was, that was for sure.

I felt his shoulders give a shrug against me. "Sure. As for when, well, you heard from Alice. It's pretty bad. Could be a while 'til we see him again."

I felt a bit sick to my stomach at the thought of my brother apart from the family.

Emmett's citrine eyes glowed as he studied me. "Aww, babe," he gushed. "Didn't know you had it in you."

"Had what in me?"

"I didn't know you cared so much about Edward."

"What?" I snorted. "No. I just hate an incomplete family."

He turned me around fully to face him, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"We're a unit, this family. We need to stick together."

His lip turned up on one side, flashing a dimple. "We spend time away from them, too."

"Um, yeah, but we also limit the amount of time. Plan the time away. We're always scheduled to come home."

"And it worries you that he's not."

My eyes flitted away from his face. "I don't know. I guess."

His eyes shot to the side, narrowing as he was caught deep in thought. "You know, I do sense change." His hand brushed a lock out of my face.

"What do you mean?"

"Change... there will be a big change coming... I can feel it."

"Okay, now who's talking gibberish?"

He shrugged. "Just sayin'. I feel like something's coming up. Something big. Edward's never run away like this before."

"That doesn't mean anything," I argued, unsure why I was getting so jumpy and defensive.

My husband shook his head. "I just think... things will be different... moving forward."

It was my turn to furrow my brows this tome. "I'm sorry, Alice. Did you say something?"

His brows furrowed.

"When did you become a fortune teller?" I asked.

Emmett rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Fine, don't believe me."

"Sure," I placated him. "Sure I do."

"Whatever, Rose." As I turned on my back to look up at the ceiling, I felt him watch me. "I'm going to miss him, too, Rosalie. We all are."

Me? Miss Edward? I shook it off. "All right," I sighed. "Next subject. I'm already bored."

He reached over and placed a small peck on my nose. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm." I thought for a moment, but nothing else came to mind. "Nothing, I guess. Maybe I just want to enjoy this moment with you."

His dimples appeared once again, flanking the smile I lived for. "Okay then, babe. QNT it is."

I giggled at his acronym for "quality naked time," relishing the warmth of his embrace before his fingers found my locks. He turned me so that I was on top of him, where we just held one another and said nothing, just enjoying our time to ourselves, away from family members, away from the world.

But as I laid my head across his perfect washboard stomach and felt his fingers comb through my long tresses, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was right-that change was coming. Somehow, though physically impossible in this eternal form, I felt my stomach tie in uneasy knots in reaction to the feeling.

My mind ran in a direction undesired. I imagined my brother's face, annoying as he was, and suddenly, I felt overprotective, a symptom I chalked up to my relentless devotion to my family. My teeth clenched at the thought of the stupid Chief of Police's daughter, resentment brewing out of nowhere.

Edward. He needed to come home and be a pest. Because I'd rather a pesky sibling than no sibling at all. Everything needed to stay the same as before.

I thought back to earlier, to my thoughts on my family. My dependence on my unchanging parents and siblings.

No, he had to come back. Even if I couldn't stand him. Even if I thought he was a wet blanket.

Because he was my brother.

And because I... hate change.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as I tried to hold onto that thought—that it wasn't anything more than that—my stomach now full of those stupid knots.

My thoughts returned the plain little girl with the dark hair and heart shaped face, the new student who I didn't care to know to begin with. That fact was still as true at the moment as it had been that morning. I didn't care to know her at all. I began to realize I wished she'd never come to town.

And there it was—resentment once again towards the girl that shouldn't matter.

* * *

**END NOTES:**

* * *

So I am in a pickle as to continuing this story into the Twilight Saga, but I'm not sure if I'll get a following. For anyone who is interested in a possible follow up fic _Vanity and Patience: The Twilight Years_, please leave me a review and let me know! Otherwise, I won't bother writing it.

Thank you once again to everyone who as read V&P, participated in the V&P forum, reviewed V&P chapters, subscribed to the story, faved me as an author, tweeted me a compliment or dropped me a PM. It's great to be recognized for all the hardwork and time I've put into this story.

Here's a few dedications I have for old friends and former readers out there:

Fellow DHGs who were also V&P Fans: Thanks to the Dirty, Horny Girls who not only supported Kari and Lisa's fics, but MINE as well. I appreciate all your support!

KJGio – Kat, first of all, thank you so much for reading my story and liking it at all. But most of all, thank you for notifying me that this very story had been plagiarized. I wouldn't have known if it wasnt for YOU! I owe you so much!

An additional thanks to the following for their support in the recent plagiarism issue with TinaJaymes/EdwardsCougar33: ViperDiva, DarkFireAngel00, amazonia22, lilsunnysaunt, TwiGirlWriter, Mrskugs, DennyCullenlutz, and Kariann

Amanda aka McManda: Thank you for being the first to actively participate in the V&P forum. I am so glad to have met such a wonderful and insightful girl, even if just online. I hope all is well with you in your life.

Jen aka Jenstampin: Oh my Jen, Not sure if you'll ever read this, but I miss our talks but I know life happens. Hope all is well with you. My love to Pher and the kids!

Lisa aka cfmom: I've said this a million times before, but I have to say it again. Thank you so, so much for all your time and effort in betaing V&P. It would not be the success it is (or was) without your help, and I appreciate all your advice and suggestions. There was a time when you great friend who was there for me when I needed it, and I haven't forgotten that. Hope all is well in your world, and please be sure to give my love to AJ and the kids.

Diana Black: My Brazillian friend, thank you for still being around to read my fics and support me in all things I do for the fandom, even though it's not that much anymore. Still, thanks so much for STILL being there. You don't know how much I appreciate you.

Shay aka MsShayB: I thank you for being around for me still, as I am happy to be here for you as well. I hope that you get around to working on your fic again. At least you know I'll be around (or until BD2 is out in theaters, haha). But of course, we can keep in touch long after that! I still plan on meeting you one day on the Wessyde *holding up a W w/ my fingers* My love to Little Kiss. See you around on Facebook!

Kariann: On the one chance that you might actually come back to at least read my fics again, I wanted to say thanks so much for all the ideas, suggestions, editing, and just being there as a friend. I really miss our daily chats the most, but I understand that you needed to move on. We all did. And again, thanks for your support in the plagiarism incident. It means a lot that you were still there for me for that when no one else was.

TO ALL V&P READERS/FANS: I cannot thank you enough for your support of this fic. I've enjoyed writing this, as well as all of your continued enthusiasm for Emmett and Rosalie and their beginnings. Thank you for sharing in the love, laughter, and tears through this whole saga. **Again, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, recommended, mentioned, tweeted, posted on blogs about, posted on threads, visited the V&P thread, voted in awards, PMed me on updates, and your continued suppor through out the story. It's been a great pleasure, and without you, I wouldn't have the drive to complete it! I appreciate and am thankful for every single one of you out there!**

_**Vanity and Patience: The Twilight Years:**_ Again, if you want to read about some choice glimpses of Rosalie's perspective during the twilight saga, please drop me a note or mention it in a review. My decision to write it would be based on the response I get for this chapter!

**Any wolf-girls out there?** be sure to check out my Rachel and Paul fic,_**Hungry Like the Wolf**_!


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